Affordable Heating Program Agreement

The Governments of Canada and Ontario signed an Affordable Housing Program Agreement on May 30, 2002, which will provide $489.42 million over the next five years to help increase the supply of affordable housing in the province.

Federal funding of $244.71 million, together with matching contributions from the Province of Ontario, municipalities and other private and nonprofit partners will help create an estimated 10,500 units in Ontario during -the next five years. 

Peter Milliken, M.P. for Kingston and the Islands, and Bob Mills, M.P. for Red Deer, Alberta, with the Kingston Heritage Exchange Students in Ottawa on May 8, 2002. The students, who were from both Alberta and Calvin Park Public School in Kingston were visiting Ottawa for the day as part of the Society for Educational Visits and Exchanges in Canada, which is sponsored by Histor!ca

This initiative demonstrates a commitment by governments to work together to address the need for affordable housing. The announcement was made jointly by the Honourable John Manley, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and the Honourable Chris Hodgson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

The Affordable Housing Program was announced in the Speech From the Throne in January last year, as a federal response to the affordable housing situation in Canada. The $680 million in federal funding was confirmed in the 2001 federal budget.

The 2001 Speech From the Throne indicated the Government of Canada would help stimulate the creation of more affordable rental housing. The federal/provincial/territorial housing ministers met twice to finalize details of an affordable housing initiative that would address the needs and priorities of individual jurisdictions while meeting the goal of increasing supply of affordable housing. The final framework developed and agreed to on November 30.

Overall objectives for the program are to increase the supply of affordable housing in Ontario, and for this housing to be affordable at least 10 years.

For more information:  www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca / www.mah.gov.on.ca