Surplus federal properties will be repurposed into new affordable housing under a new program from the Canadian government.
Communities in Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland will be among the first to benefit from the scheme which is inviting proposals from housing developers to turn five properties across the three provinces into affordable, sustainable, accessible, and socially inclusive housing.
The program is called the Federal Lands Initiative and the Government of Canada is allocating $200 million through the National Housing Strategy to support the transfer of surplus federal properties to eligible proponents at heavily discounted rates or at no-cost to encourage the development of affordable housing.
"Increasing the availability of affordable housing is the cornerstone of ensuring all Canadians have a place to call home. Being able to leverage surplus federal properties and lands is an effective way to create new housing and also breathe new life into properties that have been untouched for years or decades." Said the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development.
The initiative will create or preserve no fewer than 257 housing units and is part of the larger 10-year, $40 billion National Housing Plan, that will create 100,000 new housing units and repair and renew more than 300,000 housing units to reduce chronic homelessness by 50%.
The five properties for which proposals are currently being accepted are:
- Wateridge Village – Block 21 (Ottawa, Ontario)
- 12 390 Avenue Saint-Jacques (Montreal, Quebec)
- 1455-1465 Place du Dauphin & 1148-1162 rue Jogues (Sherbrooke, Quebec)
- Pleasantville – Lots 5-8, 13-17 (St. John's, Newfoundland)
- Pleasantville – Block 14 (St. John's, Newfoundland)
