Federal funds for new rental suites

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This article was published 17/11/2023 (735 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

More than 440 new rental suites are being built in Winnipeg, with an infusion of $132 million in federal funding.

The funding, coming as fully repayable low-interest loans through the Rental Construction Financing Initiative, will have more than $86 million go to construct 270 units of accessible seniors housing in three buildings at 347 Oakdale Dr. in Charleswood.

Another 177 units, with a mix of studio and one-to-three-bedroom suites, is receiving more than $45 million in funding. It finished construction in Transcona this month.

The funding is part of the federal government’s National Housing Strategy, which will have more than $82 billion spent during the next decade. The initiative is intended to help push the construction of affordable rental residences.

Carmen Nedohin, president of the Winnipeg chapter of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons, said she’s glad some of the housing is for seniors.

“To increase the inventory of housing for older Canadians is fantastic,” Nedohin said Friday. “I’m glad they are doing that. Now we will have to see if they are affordable.

“Because it’s fine to build them, but if they can’t afford them, it does nothing. The need is there.”

EdgeCorp Group president Keith Merkel said the two loans helped the company develop the projects.

“Through this program, we are creating more housing supply that is accessible and inclusive, allowing the residents here to live more comfortable, sustainable lives,” Merkel said in a statement.

The units in the three low-rise apartment buildings in Charleswood will not only include in-suite laundry, but residents will have access to the new home of the Charleswood 55-plus Active Living Centre.

Six of the units in the complex will be built with universal design for seniors with disabilities, while access to the buildings and common areas will be barrier-free.

It is expected to open in April 2025.

The other apartment building, at 150 Transcona Blvd., also features in-suite laundry and the building includes a gym. The complex will have two suites built with universal design and will cater to families and individuals with middle incomes. Construction finished Nov. 1.

“It is crucial for the federal government to work with our partners to ensure that every Canadian has a safe place to call home. This investment will not only support 447 families right here in Winnipeg, but will also give them the opportunity to live in an inclusive community that provides better access to services that meet their needs,” Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal (Saint Boniface—Saint Vital) said in a statement.

Federal Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Minister Sean Fraser said: “We need to boost housing supply. This is why our government will continue to make strategic investments… to incentivize the development of much-needed rental units… The federal government will continue backing them, so that all Canadians have a safe and secure place to call home.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca