Government and private contributions provide affordable housing for families in Gatineau
Tashi Farmilo
The Government of Quebec, the Government of Canada and the City of Gatineau are proud to announce their financial support for the construction of 15 affordable housing units for families at risk of homelessness in Gatineau. Les Œuvres Isidore Ostiguy, a community organization dedicated to the cause of homeless families, will oversee the construction of the $7.9 million project. Work began in November 2022, and the first tenants are expected to move in by May 2024.
The Société d'habitation du Québec (SHQ) is providing over $1.6 million in assistance from its AccèsLogis Québec program, while the federal government is providing $670,000 through the Second Canada-Quebec Agreement on the Rapid Housing Initiative, Large Cities Component – a program administered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). The City of Gatineau is also granting more than $3.5 million to the project, with almost $2.2 million coming from the tripartite agreements signed with the SHQ and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Dwelling.
France-Élaine Duranceau, the Minister responsible for Housing, said, "I am proud to highlight our government's contribution to this project of 15 affordable housing units for families at risk of homelessness. Our government's financial assistance is used not only to build these units, but also to ensure that they are affordable for its tenants. Thanks to this collective work and our constant efforts in housing, this new building will greatly improve the quality of life of its future residents."
The Honorable Greg Fergus, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and President of the Treasury Board and Member of Parliament for Hull—Aylmer, added, "This project is made possible thanks to the Rapid Housing Initiative, and will provide much-needed assistance to many of the most vulnerable people in the city of Gatineau. These 15 units, which are just the beginning, will be more than a safe and affordable place to live: they will become a real home, the key to a better life for the families who occupy them."
François Roy, president of Les Œuvres Isidore Ostiguy, emphasized the importance of the organization's assistance to the most vulnerable citizens in the city of Gatineau, saying, "As in the early 2000s, when the creation of the organization Les Œuvres Isidore Ostiguy and the construction of its first emergency housing building for homeless families were marked, this new innovative long-term accommodation project is the result of unfailing commitment, determination and patience in the cause of homeless families. A cause heartily supported by the entire team of Les Œuvres, the only community organization in Quebec dedicated to the cause of homeless families."
The two-storey building will house community spaces reserved for tenants, with seven units having two bedrooms and eight units having three bedrooms. The construction of these 15 affordable housing units in Gatineau is a significant step in addressing the pressing issue of homelessness in the region. With the ongoing housing crisis, it is hoped that such initiatives and collaborations will continue to be developed and implemented, providing much-needed assistance to those in need.
Photo cap: The Honorable Greg Fergus and France-Élaine Duranceau
Photo credit: Tashi Farmilo