WELLINGTON COUNTY – The County of Wellington will receive over $6 million in provincial funding to improve community housing locally.
On April 17, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark announced the province would spend $1 billion in 2019-20 to help sustain, repair and grow community housing and help end homelessness.
Perth-Wellington MPP Randy Pettapiece said the government will be investing over $10 million to improve community housing locally.
The City of Stratford, and the Perth County and Stratford Housing Corporation, will receive $3,939,997 in 2019-20.
Wellington County will receive $6,163,816.
“I would like to thank minister Clark for this important investment in our local community housing projects,” said Pettapiece. “Our government understands the importance of these non-profit, co-operative and municipal housing agencies.”
Last week Clark also announced the province’s new Community Housing Renewal Strategy, which aims to make the community housing system more streamlined and sustainable.
“We are putting families first and investing more in housing and homelessness, including supportive housing, than any other level of government,” said Clark.
He added, “We are committed to matching the federal dollars under the National Housing Strategy and look forward to negotiations on the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit.”
In a press release, the government stated Ontario’s new Community Housing Renewal Strategy will:
– encourage tenants to seek opportunities at school and work by removing existing penalties for working more hours or going to college or university;
– make rent more predictable by simplifying rent calculations;
– free up the waitlist by having tenants prioritize their first choice and accept the first unit they are offered, while allowing service managers flexibility to make exceptions in extenuating circumstances;
– protecting tenants who receive child support payments by ensuring their rent is not impacted by payments;
– making housing available to “those who truly need” it, with an asset test.
