The Government of Canada has committed $30 million in the budget to help federally administered social housing providers, including housing co\u2011ops, to continue to provide rent-geared-to-income housing as existing funding agreements expire. This measure reflects what housing co\u2011ops asked for in the Co-operative Housing Federation (CHF) \u201cYou Hold the Key\u201d campaign.<\/p>\n
More than 21,000 households with low-incomes pay an affordable rent because of these federal funding agreements. These include seniors, new Canadians, persons with mental and physical disabilities, Aboriginal people, and lone-parent families.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe appreciate this assistance and also look forward to working with governments to develop a long-term solution so that low-income households, living in co\u2011ops and other social housing are protected both now and into the future\u201d said Nicholas Gazzard, President of CHF Canada.<\/p>\n
There was also an increase in the Investment in Affordable Housing (IAH) initiative announced in Budget 2016. $500 million over the next two years will be provided to provinces and territories to invest in affordable housing. The initiative extends an invitation to stakeholders to develop a National Housing Strategy.<\/p>\n