NORTH GRENVILLE - Today the Government of Canada formally announced a Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) award of up to $5,234,207.00 to the Municipality of North Grenville to deliver up to 671 new homes over the next 3 years.
The HAF fund was announced by the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing Infrastructure and Communities.
The Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development was on site at North Grenville’s Municipal Centre on Friday to make the announcement.
The successful application was the result of many hours of dedicated time on the part of planning staff.
Mayor Nancy Peckford offered the following, “We are heartened and encouraged by the award of this crucial funding to assist with North Grenville’s efforts to improve access to affordable housing in our community. We recognize that in the face of a deepening housing crisis, the Housing Accelerator Fund is a rare opportunity to go beyond what would have been possible otherwise.
As Mayor, I've witnessed firsthand the urgent need for not just housing, but affordable housing solutions in high-growth rural/urban communities like ours here in eastern Ontario. Today, with the support of the Government of Canada’s Housing Accelerator Fund, we are excited to accelerate our efforts to quickly respond to the pressing needs of seniors, youth, and young families who are currently struggling to gain access to affordable and attainable housing."
Mayor Peckford extended her thanks to federal Housing Minister, Sean Fraser, who proudly hails from rural Nova Scotia, and clearly appreciates the impact these dollars will have in smaller communities like ours. She also recognized that local MP Michael Barrett has also been a strong champion for rural housing solutions to build homes in eastern Ontario.
The funds from the Housing Accelerator grant will be used to reduce barriers to building homes in our community, including notably:
1. The provision of three pre-approved architectural plans for the establishment of additional dwelling units (i.e. tiny homes) for which a modest grant will be made available;
2. Investments in the necessary underground infrastructure to enable more multi-residential units to be built;
3. Improvement and modernization of the Municipality’s zoning By-laws and building software;
4. Potential partnerships with Not-for-profit builders.
North Grenville is one of just a few smaller municipalities that have been awarded monies from the Housing Accelerator Fund.
The Accelerator Fund is a National Housing Strategy led by the Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation designed to remove barriers to encourage local initiatives to build more homes. The program’s objective is to help increase housing supply – and supporting the development of communities that are more affordable and diverse.
For more information on the HAF please visit: www.northgrenville.ca
Background:
In addition to above, the following key initiatives will be addressed through HAF funding:
- Expansion of housing options that are accessible to a variety of home buyers, including youth, low-income seniors and vulnerable residents;
- Investment in critical steps to update current rules and reform zoning policy for purpose-built rentals, multiplexes, and low-rise apartments and removal of existing barriers to allowing up to 3 units per lot within municipal serviced areas;
- A municipal-owned lands review and establishment of policy and priorities to maximize and help promote new affordable housing opportunities;
- More support for on-site stormwater management issues;
- Reimagine parking, including rethinking parking minimums and parking maximums;
- Update the Municipality’s Infrastructure Master Plan to identify infrastructure requiring upgrades to allow to incentivize missing middle housing;
- Updates to Service Delivery and Efficiency by purchasing and implementing software to modernize and improve processing times for building permit applications;
- Conduct a municipal fee review and offer financial incentives and faster timelines for affordable housing projects;
- Create an Additional Dwelling Unit Program establishing local incentives and “off-the-shelf” plans that residents can use to construct a detached additional dwelling unit at their property.
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