The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Member of Parliament for Pontiac, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, along with Stéphanie Vallée, Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier of Quebec and Member of the National Assembly for Gatineau, on behalf of Laurent Lessard, Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy, officially opened today the two housing projects of the La Pêche Development Corporation, which provide 24 new affordable housing units for semi-independent seniors. This represents an investment of nearly $3.5 million on the part of public and sector partners for the construction of these units.

The Government of Canada, through Canada’s Economic Action Plan, and the Government of Quebec, under the AccèsLogis program of the Société d’habitation du Québec (SHQ), contributed a total amount of nearly $1.5 million, while partners and the Municipality of La Pêche invested nearly $2 million. Of this sum, more than $1.3 million will be provided by the Municipality of La Pêche in the form of a capitalized tax rebate. Canada’s Economic Action Plan was put in place to stimulate the economy and create jobs during the global recession. The federal and provincial governments will invest, on a 50:50 cost-shared basis, $538 million in Quebec under the Affordable Housing Initiative Program Extension Agreement.

“Our government is committed to giving a hand-up to the people of Quebec during these tough economic times,” said Minister Cannon. “Through projects like these, Year 2 of Canada’s Economic Action Plan will continue to create jobs, stimulate communities in all corners of the country and support Canadian workers and families.”

“The opening of these two establishments is excellent news and demonstrates the attention that our government is giving to the seniors of Quebec. Thanks to the combined efforts of the different partners that contributed to this mobilizing project, 24 households can now benefit from safe, quality housing that meets their needs, at an affordable cost,” said MNA Stéphanie Vallée, in the presence of Robert Bussière, Mayor of La Pêche and Chair of the Board of Directors of the La Pêche Development Corporation, and community partners.

Canada’s Economic Action Plan provides $400 million, over two years, to build new rental housing for low-income seniors. Overall, the Economic Action Plan includes $2 billion for new and existing social housing, plus up to $2 billion in loans to municipalities for housing-related infrastructure.

Canada’s Economic Action Plan builds on the Government of Canada’s commitment in 2008 of more than $1.9 billion, over five years, to improve and build new affordable housing and help the homeless.

Twelve tenants of these two housing projects can benefit from the SHQ’s Rent Supplement program, which provides financial assistance to low-income individuals who would otherwise have to spend more than 25 per cent of their income on housing. The rent supplements provided will represent, over a five-year period, a total of nearly $183,350 in financial assistance, including $165,000 from the SHQ and more than $18,350 from the Municipality of La Pêche.

Since 2003, 980 community housing units have been, or are being, developed in the Outaouais region, including 82 in the constituency of Gatineau, representing total investments of nearly $114 million by the Government of Quebec.