The Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, and the Regional Municipality of York celebrated the grand opening of 50 affordable rental units today. The development is supported by $3.5 million in funding through the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program. 

Lois Brown, Member of Parliament for Newmarket-Aurora, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), and Dr. Helena Jaczek, Member of Provincial Parliament for Oak Ridges-Markham, on behalf of Jim Bradley, Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, along with Bill Fisch, York Region Chairman and CEO, made the announcement.

"Our Government is committed to giving a hand-up to those who need it most here in Ontario and across the country," said MP Brown. "These new units in Newmarket will help make an important difference in the lives of seniors, families and persons with special needs who are trying to build a better future for themselves."

"The McGuinty government is committed to providing people with a safe and sustainable place they can call home," said MPP Dr. Helena Jaczek. "These new affordable rental units will make a difference in the lives of many people living in Newmarket."
"Tom Taylor Place was built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards through energy and water efficiency, site development, materials selection and indoor air quality," said York Region Chairman and CEO Bill Fisch. "Tom Taylor Place is slated to receive LEED Gold Certification later this summer, a first for York Region that exemplifies the Region's leadership in environmental sustainability."

"Tom Taylor Place has unique features that meet the needs of clients of the Canadian Hearing Society," said Town of Newmarket Mayor Tony Van Bynen. "Innovative, assistive technologies enable residents to maintain independence and reside within their home community."

Tom Taylor Place, a 50 unit project located at 615 Fernbank Road, received $3.5 million in funding through the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program. The federal and provincial funding is complemented by over $4.5 million in municipal financial incentives.

The Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program Agreement comprises a commitment of $301 million from each of the two senior levels of government. In total, the federal, provincial and municipal governments will invest at least $734 million in the program, which will provide affordable housing for up to 20,000 households in Ontario.

In 2008, the Government of Canada committed more than $1.9 billion over five years to improve and build new affordable housing and to help the homeless. Canada's Economic Action Plan builds on this with an additional one-time investment of more than $2 billion over two years in new and existing social housing and up to another $2 billion in loans to municipalities for housing-related infrastructure. Combined for Ontario, this means a further $1.2-billion joint investment under the amended Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program Agreement. The federal and provincial governments are contributing equally to this overall investment.

To find out more about how the Government of Canada and CMHC are working to build stronger homes and communities for all Canadians, call CMHC at 1-800-668-2642 or visit www.cmhc.ca/housingactionplan. For more information on Canada's Economic Action Plan, call 1-800-O Canada or visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.