GUELPH – Residents of Guelph and Wellington and Dufferin counties are getting closer to building affordable communities through the Habitat for Humanity homeownership model, thanks to the National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCF).
On Aug. 8, Maryam Monsef, minister of international development and minister for women and gender equality, on behalf of Jean-Yves Duclos, minister of families, children and social development and minister responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), announced a $32.4 million financial commitment over three years (2019-21) from the federal government to Habitat for Humanity Canada and its affiliate organizations, including Wellington Dufferin Guelph (WDG).
“At Habitat WDG, we see the need to support the entire housing spectrum and the $726,000 in funding that we are receiving in 2019 will help us to do just that,” said Steve Howard, CEO of Habitat WDG.
“These funds are critical in helping us to build homes for all people in our community. When we give a hand up to one, another can move through the spectrum.”
To support the full spectrum, Habitat WDG will be using these funds to complete Phase 3 of Cityview Village.
Located at Victoria and York Road in Guelph, the three-phase condo building has 20 finished units and is home to families, individuals with disabilities and seniors.
The funding received in 2019 will support the completion of this project, allowing phase three, which has already commenced construction, to be finished.
Once that happens, Cityview Village will be home to 28 new homeowners.
“Cityview Village is just the beginning,” Howard said.
“Our affiliate has the IMICO property on the horizon, as well as the work we are doing in Dufferin, where we’ve provided a hand up to two families and are acquiring property that lets us begin to build approximately 10 homes in the next two years.”
To keep up with the building momentum, Habitat WDG has launched a subsidiary called Within Reach which helps to support first-time homebuyers who sit outside of Habitat’s traditional program. This, along with the funding from NCHF, is allowing more people in the housing spectrum to move upwards and onwards.
“This is the cycle of poverty that we’re trying to break,” Howard said. “We know we can get there, but it takes a village: a village of donors, volunteers, partners and sponsors.”
To learn more about Habitat or to make a donation, visit www.habitatwdg.ca.
