NEW AFFORDABLE HOMES COMING TO SAULT STE.MARIE Français
The announcement was made by Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma, on behalf of the Honourable Gregor Roberston, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada, and the Honourable Rob Flack, Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, alongside Chris Scott, Member of Provincial Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie, Matthew Shoemaker, Mayor of Sault Ste. Marie, and Stephanie Pagnucco, Chair of the Board for the Sault Ste. Marie Housing Corporation.
These supportive units are part of two separate projects aimed at addressing urgent housing needs in the community. The Community Resource Centre, located at 721 Wellington Street East, has been serving the local community since 2023 continuing to provide support with 22-emergency shelter bed and 22 transition bridge units. The units are designed for long-term stays helping individuals to transition from homelessness to permanent housing. Residents of these units have access to a kitchen, shower, laundry facilities as well as an on-site healthcare clinic and on-site mental health and addictions counseling.
The second project is an 11-plex modular housing project located in the western area of Sault Ste. Marie, that will provide transitional housing to women and children fleeing domestic abuse. These transitional units are supported by Women In Crisis (WIC) and include life skills training, educational upgrades, in-demand skills training and stability services for up to 24 months as women and children wait for permanent housing.
This investment is made possible thanks to the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI) and the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI); initiatives of the Canada-Ontario Bilateral Agreement under the National Housing Strategy.
As we build a strong Canadian housing sector, purposeful collaboration will be essential. That means working hand-in-hand with the non-profit sector to bring down costs and build homes at a scale and speed not seen since the Second World War.
Quotes:
"The federal government is committed to helping communities develop local solutions to address the housing crisis. The projects announced today will provide more safe, affordable homes for the most vulnerable residents of Sault Ste. Marie. I'm proud of our government's involvement, and of the tangible difference it will make for people in this community"– The Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada
"Everyone deserves a roof over their head and a safe place to call home. This announcement will help many families and individuals to heal and rebuild their lives, offering not just a home but also hope. The federal government's ongoing support and commitment to creating affordable housing will help improve the lives of the most vulnerable from our community, here in Sault Ste. Marie." – Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma
"Supportive housing enables people to get back on their feet with the supports they need to build a better future in Sault Ste. Marie and in communities across Ontario. Our government is working hand-in-hand with our federal and municipal partners to build more affordable and supportive housing to protect our vulnerable residents and ensure they have a roof over their heads." – The Honourable Rob Flack, Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
"This funding helps create transitional housing units that offer a lifeline for safety and stability to individuals who need it most. We're delivering urgently needed housing to protect women, children, and vulnerable individuals throughout our community." – Chris Scott, Member of Provincial Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie
"I want to express our sincere gratitude for this vital investment in our community. These new transitional housing units are more than just buildings — they represent safety, dignity, and a fresh start. For individuals and families fleeing domestic violence, having a secure place to turn to is life-changing. We are committed to supporting vulnerable residents and advancing housing supports that improve safety and stability in our community." – Stephanie Pagnucco, Chair of the Board for the Sault Ste. Marie Housing Corporation
Quick Facts:
The National Housing Strategy (NHS) is a 10+ year, $115+ billion plan to give more Canadians a place to call home. Progress on programs and initiatives are updated quarterly on the Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC) website. The Housing and Infrastructure Project Map shows affordable housing projects that have been developed.
As of March 2025, the federal government has committed $65.84 billion to support the creation of over 166,000 units and the repair of over 322,000 units. These measures prioritize those in greatest need, including seniors, Indigenous Peoples, people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and women and children fleeing violence.
NHS is built on strong partnerships between the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, and continuous engagement with others, including municipalities, Indigenous governments and organizations, and the social and private housing sectors. This includes consultations with Canadians from all walks of life, and people with lived experience of housing need.
All NHS investments delivered by the federal, provincial, and territorial governments will respect the key principles of NHS that support partnerships, people, and communities.
The Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI) is a funding initiative under the CMHC-Ontario Bilateral Agreement. This 10-year agreement provides more than $378million in federal OPHI funding to help protect, renew and expand community housing and support Ontario's priorities related to housing repair, construction and affordability.
The Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI) is a funding initiative under the Canada-Ontario Bilateral Agreement that provides funding to repair, regenerate and expand community housing so tenants can live in a home that is affordable. It can also be used to support community housing providers whose original program arrangements are expiring and help them to become more sustainable.
The Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) is delivered through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) under the NHS. It provides funding to facilitate the rapid construction of new housing and the acquisition of existing buildings for the purpose of rehabilitation or conversion to permanent affordable housing units. With its third phase, launched in 2022, the Rapid Housing Initiative once again exceeded targets. It is expected that with this phase over 5,200 new homes will be created, of which almost half will be for women and one third will be for Indigenous Peoples. The total number of units created with the support of Rapid Housing Initiative is expected to be over 16,000 units. The program is now closed.
The RHI takes a human rights-based approach to housing, serving people experiencing or at risk of homelessness and other vulnerable people, including women and children fleeing domestic violence, seniors, young adults, Indigenous Peoples, people with disabilities, people experiencing mental health and addiction issues, Veterans, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, racialized groups, and recent immigrants or refugees.
Funding provided for 721 Wellington St East is as follows:
$1.3 million through the federal government's Rapid Housing Initiative to support the construction of 22 units previously announced in 2024.
$431,300 from the federal and provincial governments through the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative to support the construction of 3 units.
$4 million from the District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administration Board
Funding provided for the project located in the western area of Sault Ste. Marie is as follows:
$4.9 million from the Canada – Ontario Community Housing Initiative.
Additional Information:
Visit canada.ca/housing for the most-requested Government of Canada housing information.
CMHC plays a critical role as a national facilitator to promote stability and sustainability in Canada's housing finance system. Our mortgage insurance products support access to homeownership and the creation and maintenance of rental supply. We also actively support the Government of Canada in delivering on its commitment to make housing more affordable. Our research and data help inform housing policy. By facilitating cooperation between all levels of government, private and non-profit sectors, we contribute to advancing housing affordability, equity, and climate compatibility. Follow us on X, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
The Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025, helps speed up the construction of new homes and infrastructure by streamlining development processes and reducing costs, in partnership with municipalities.
For more information on affordable housing in Ontario, visit ontario.ca/affordablehousing or follow us on X.
SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
20 minutes ago
- CTV News
‘Let's be smarter than the U.S. is': Experts discuss trade strategy amid Trump tariffs
As Canadians continue to navigate the ever-changing trade policies of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, experts say officials in Ottawa are walking a tight rope between appeasement and retaliation. '(Trump) takes retaliation very personally, so I'm not sure it's worth the calculation,' Drew Fagan, professor at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, told BNN Bloomberg in a Tuesday interview. 'Canada's a big country, it's the tenth biggest economy in the world, but we're a middle weight fighting with a super-heavy weight, I don't think you want to go punching with them and thinking you're an equal; you're not.' A Friday deadline passed without a trade deal between the U.S. and Canada, and the Trump administration implemented a 35 per cent tariff on Canadian goods entering the U.S. that are not already covered under the existing North American free trade agreement. Most Canadian products exported to the U.S. do fall under the Canada-United States-Mexico agreement (CUSMA) and thus remain duty-free for now. That deal, however, is slated for renegotiation in 2026. 'For (Canada), the bigger negotiation is the one over the renewal, the review and the renegotiation of CUSMA next year,' Fagan argued. 'When (Trump) negotiated the renewal of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) in his first term, he put additional pressure on Canada by putting tariffs... on steel and aluminum that are key products that we export to the U.S.' It's possible, Fagan said, that Trump is carrying out a similar strategy now. 'The only thing that's really stopping him are the courts in the United States,' he said. From the start, Trump's legal justification for the tariffs placed on Canadian goods came through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which gives the U.S. president authority to enact economic measures typically reserved for the U.S. Congress. 'There is a significant court case going on now… it's possible that the court will strike (the tariffs) down, but of course this president has a way of kind of working around court decisions… but we should expect that it'll be a bit of a full tilt in 2026,' said Fagan. Canada's next moves Although most Canadian exporters with U.S. customer bases are free to operate without tariffs for the time being, it remains unclear what moves Washington or Ottawa will make next in the ongoing trade conflict. But those industries that export non-CUSMA compliant goods to the U.S. need relief as soon as possible, says John Boscariol, leader of the International Trade and Investment Law Group at McCarthy-Tétrault LLP. 'For our exporters in the steel, aluminum and auto sector and now copper, they continue to face sectoral tariffs, so they are continuing to be hurt by those tariffs,' he told BNN Bloomberg in a Tuesday interview. 'What we are anticipating hopefully is that, as this agreement is being negotiated, we're going to see some kind of deal, some kind of resolution over those sectoral tariffs going forward and that's really how we will judge whether this is a good deal or not.' Many within the Canadian business community had been hoping for a new trade deal before last week's deadline to ease the burden on companies impacted by current tariff rates. But it's unclear if an imminent agreement is in the cards, Fagan noted. 'Conversations are continuing… the (U.S.) president and the prime minister are expected to talk this week,' he said. '(But) I don't expect, and I don't think many people expect a deal to be done soon with regard to Canada and the United States.' Prime Minister Mark Carney has said repeatedly since taking office this spring that Canada needs to diversify its economic partnerships around the world and become less dependent on the U.S. in light of the trade developments this year. But many of those partnerships are still in the early stages, and most Canadian exporters will continue to rely on U.S. markets at least in the near and medium term, Boscariol said. 'There is that opportunity to diversify and certainly the provinces are trying to do their part in reducing provincial barriers but in the short to medium term, we're looking to these trade negotiations to provide some sort of relief or resolution,' he said. While in search of that resolution, Fagan said that Canada's leaders should rely on their strengths, which have always been different than those of their U.S. counterparts. 'Let's be smarter than the U.S. is; we always are in negotiations,' he said, 'that's our superpower and I think we will be in the upcoming negotiations as well.'
CTV News
20 minutes ago
- CTV News
OPP say they are investigating the mayor of North Bay
Ontario Provincial Police said Tuesday they are investigating allegations involving North Bay Mayor Peter Chirico. In an email to CTV News, an OPP spokesperson said the North Bay Police Service referred a complaint about Chirico to the OPP. The complaint was 'concerning allegations involving the mayor of the City of North Bay, who also serves on the North Bay police services board,' OPP spokesperson Gosia Puzio said in the email. 'We can confirm that the OPP has opened an investigation into the matter.' Personal expenses Chirico has been in the spotlight since it emerged this spring that he had used the corporate credit card to pay for personal expenses, including golf club memberships, gifts and cigarettes. He has said he repaid $16,000 in personal items he charged to the city credit card. North Bay city council rejected a motion calling for a forensic audit into the mayor's expenses, and for Chirico to step down from the police board while the audit was being conducted. However, city integrity commissioner Guy Giorno has been asked by Chirico to investigate. It also emerged in July that Margaret Karpenko, the city's outgoing chief financial officer, recommended in early 2024 that Chirico's credit card be taken away. That recommendation was ignored and he continued to charge personal items on the card into late 2024. He has since surrendered the card and Karpenko has announced she is leaving North Bay to become CFO in Greater Sudbury. CTV News has contacted the City of North Bay to respond to the news that the OPP is investigating allegations involving the mayor.
Cision Canada
an hour ago
- Cision Canada
MEDIA ADVISORY - Government of Canada to launch call for proposals for community projects to help seniors
GATINEAU, QC, Aug. 5, 2025 /CNW/ - The Honourable Stephanie McLean, Secretary of State (Seniors), will be in Victoria to make an announcement regarding the New Horizons for Seniors Program to help seniors be connected and active members of their communities. A photo opportunity and media availability will follow the announcement. Please note that all details are subject to change. Date: Wednesday, August 6, 2025 Time: 10:15 a.m. PDT Place: Power To Be 4633 Prospect Lake Road Victoria, British Columbia Notes for media: To register, contact [email protected] with your name and media outlet.
