Rehabilitated West Broadway Home to Provide Low-income Housing
– – –Westminster Housing Society Receives $340,000 in Government Funding to Support Conversion of Home
WINNIPEG – JUNE 18, 2010 – An inner-city house converted to four rental units was officially opened today and will provide much needed affordable accommodation for low-income residents. The house was purchased and renovated by the Westminster Housing Society Inc. with funding from Manitoba’s HOMEWorks! Initiative and the City of Winnipeg.
Participating in the opening ceremony were Manitoba Housing and Community Development Minister the Honourable Kerri Irvin-Ross and Harvey Smith, Winnipeg City Councillor for the ward of Daniel McIntyre.
“The Government of Canada is proud to have contributed to this project through the Affordable Housing Trust,” said the Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. “These new units will improve the housing conditions for residents by providing access to safe, affordable housing that meets their needs.”
“Westminster Housing Society should be proud, as this refurbished home will be another spark for neighbourhood revitalization,” said Irvin-Ross. “Our government is committed to supporting affordable housing for those who need it most and we are always pleased to be working with community organizations that make projects like this a reality.”
“The sense of pride and stability that comes with being able to have a place to call home is immeasurable,” said Smith. “On behalf of my colleagues on City Council, we are pleased to support this project and congratulate the incredible efforts of the Westminster Housing Society for bringing new life to this building.”
“Our commitment is to provide good, quality housing at affordable rental rates,” said Westminster Housing Society board member Charles R. Huband. “We are pleased to make one of the four units available to a tenant recommended by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority – Mental Health Branch. We already have a working relationship with the WRHA and we intend to expand that partnership as we add units to our portfolio of housing units."
The total capital costs of the project were more than $363,000. Funding provided for the project included:
· $300,000 from the provincial government’s HOMEWorks! Initiative, which includes funding through the Federal Housing Trust;
· $40,000 from the City of Winnipeg; and
· $8,000 from the Winnipeg Foundation.
The project involved converting a house on Broadway Avenue into a four-unit rental complex consisting of one three-bedroom unit, two one-bedroom units and one bachelor unit.
Westminster Housing Society is a non-profit corporation with charitable status which owns various properties in the West Broadway and Spence areas in Winnipeg. Since 1993, the society has successfully acquired and rehabilitated more than 75 units of housing stock and made them available to low-income households as rental units.
Through Manitoba’s Long-Term Housing Strategy, HOMEWorks!, the Province of Manitoba and Government of Canada are contributing $378 million over two years for housing initiatives in Winnipeg and across the Province. More information about HOMEWorks! is available at www.gov.mb.ca/housing.
These investments are being delivered through the Winnipeg Housing and Homelessness Initiative (WHHI), a partnership between the Government of Canada, the Province of Manitoba and the City of Winnipeg. The partners work together to deliver funding provided through each level of government for affordable housing, to address homelessness and to assist in the revitalization of Winnipeg’s older neighbourhoods. Since 2000, the WHHI partnership has committed over $138 million to repair, rehabilitate, or construct over 5,000 housing units as well as assist those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The WHHI is a single‑window office for community organizations to access information on government-funded housing and homelessness programs. For more information, visit www.whhi.ca.
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Background Information Attached
backgrounder
Background Information - https://www.gov.mb.ca/asset_library/en/newslinks/2010/6/WestminsterHousingBG.HCD.doc