January 20, 2017
Affordable Housing for Families and Seniors Opens in Transcona
A 92-unit affordable housing complex has officially opened its doors in the Transcona neighbourhood of Winnipeg, with a unique design that creates welcoming homes for families and opportunities for seniors to live independently with their loved ones nearby.
The grand opening was attended by Manitoba Families Minister Scott Fielding; Terry Duguid, parliamentary secretary to federal Families, Children and Social Development Minister and minister responsible for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) Jean-Yves Duclos; and Councillor Russ Wyatt, City of Winnipeg.
“This property provides practical and affordable housing for multi-generational families,” said Fielding. “By combining family units and seniors units in adjoining buildings, seniors can enjoy their independence while having family members close by to provide care and support. This is an exciting new development for Transcona.”
Sir Paul Martin Estates features a six-storey family wing with 45 units and an adjoining four-storey seniors’ wing with 47 units. Nearly $25 million of this $26.8-million project was provided through the federal-provincial Investment in Affordable Housing (IAH) agreement.
“Our government believes that all Canadians deserve access to housing that meets their needs and that they can afford,” said Duguid. “I’m sure the late Sir Paul Martin of Transcona would be very proud of today’s momentous occasion. The new building serves as a testament to his hard work and vision of finding community solutions here in Winnipeg.”
There are separate amenity spaces for seniors and families, as well as common areas for shared activities. All seniors units and six of the family units have been built to Manitoba Housing accessibility design standards, and both buildings also meet Manitoba’s visitable design standards. The complex also meets Manitoba Hydro Power Smart standards.
The City of Winnipeg has provided the Winnipeg Housing Rehabilitation Corporation (WHRC) with the two-acre parcel of land, which is worth more than $1.3 million, for $1.
“I’m pleased the city was able to provide the land to the Winnipeg Housing Rehabilitation Corporation to make this a reality,” said Wyatt. “This housing project helps to address the demand for affordable housing in the Transcona area.”
The property will be owned and managed by WHRC, a non-profit founded in the 1970s to develop, own and manage affordable housing options in the community. It will also provide extensive programming for family and senior tenants, together and separately, to support healthy living and positive relationships. As the developer, the WHRC has provided expertise throughout the design, development and construction of the project, and also contributed $500,000 in equity.
“WHRC is pleased that Sir Paul Martin Estates was completed on time and under budget,” said executive director Menno Peters. “This unique intergenerational project provides much-needed affordable housing in Transcona. We look forward to working with the community to ensure this is not just a housing project, but also a comfortable home for many seniors and families.
The project is named in honour of the late Sir Paul Martin of Transcona. He served his community and country as a veteran of the Second World War, school trustee, town and city councillor, mayor of the former city of Transcona and founder of the Transcona Historical Museum.
Up to half of the units will be leased on a rent geared-to-income basis to accommodate low-income households. The Manitoba government will provide a maximum annual subsidy of approximately $362,000 to support these units.
The Canada and Manitoba governments recently announced an expanded commitment to the IAH agreement, representing almost $90 million over the next two years. The new funding is in addition to approximately $166 million in joint eight-year funding to help create more affordable housing options in Manitoba.
CMHC has been helping Canadians meet their housing needs for more than 70 years. As Canada’s authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to Canadian governments, consumers and the housing industry. Prudent risk management, strong corporate governance and transparency are cornerstones of CMHC’s operations. For more information, call toll-free 1-800-668-2642 or visit www.cmhc.ca, or follow CMHC on Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.
For more information about housing programs in Manitoba, visit www.gov.mb.ca/housing/.
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