Toronto Community Housing Corporation issued the following announcement on May 29.

Lawrence Heights again hosted a major National Housing Strategy announcement when details of the National Housing Co-Investment Fund were announced in the community on May 2. Lawrence Heights was chosen as the site for this announcement, along with the launch of the National Housing Strategy late last year because it demonstrates what is possible with partnerships between the public and private sector in creating affordable housing.

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, made the announcement. Joining Minister Duclos were Adam Vaughan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Eglinton-Lawrence MP Marco Mendicino and Toronto Deputy Mayor Ana Bailão.

Above: MP Adam Vaughan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development speaking at the National Housing Co-Investment Fund announcement.

Preceding the news conference, Development Director Jason Chen led the dignitaries on a tour of the new rental replacement housing that Toronto Community Housing is building with its partners in Lawrence Heights through the revitalization. Along with the physical changes, Jason highlighted the extensive involvement by TCHC tenants in the planning process and economic opportunities revitalization has provided to the community.

The National Housing Co-Investment Fund is designed to create up to 60,000 new affordable housing units and to fund repairs to up to 240,000 affordable and community homes over the next 10 years. It will also create 4,000 shelter spaces for survivors of domestic violence, 7,000 new affordable homes for seniors and 2,400 new affordable homes for people with developmental disabilities.

The Prime Minister announced Canada’s first-ever National Housing Strategy in Lawrence Heights last November. With its focus on repairing existing social housing stock and increasing the supply of affordable housing, the strategy is an important step forward for Toronto Community Housing and other housing providers. Overall the strategy aims to create 100,000 new affordable homes and repair more than 300,000 social housing units over 10 years through federal, provincial and municipal partnerships.

Original source: https://www.torontohousing.ca/news/whatsnew/Pages/National-Housing-Co-Investment-Fund-announcement.aspx