The Government of Canada has 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 hand at North Grenville’s Municipal building last 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 Minister Fraser, and 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:
- 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;
- investments in the necessary underground infrastructure to enable more multi-residential units to be built;
- improvement and modernization of the Municipality’s zoning by-laws and building software; and
- 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, which 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.
