Provincial money used for repairs to affordable housing units
By Liz Dadson

Feature

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Standing in front of Russell Meadows in Kincardine are Susan Earle of the Bruce County Housing Authority, county warden Bill Goetz, Kincardine mayor Larry Kraemer, Huron-Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell and Russell Meadows treasurer Bill Luinstra

Huron-Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell was in Kincardine Friday morning to see what had been done with this area's portion of the provincial money allotted for repairs to affordable housing units in Bruce and Huron counties.

A total of $640,000 was invested in the riding, with $362,000 for Bruce County and $278,900 for Huron. The money went toward energy-efficient appliances and repairs to drainage, windows and solar panel design.

Standing in front of the Russell Meadows affordable housing complex, Mitchell said about $12,000 was spent to provide new appliances in the 35 units, which include one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The complex will built in 1991-92 with funding from the federal and provincial governments, said Susan Earle, manager of housing service for Bruce County.

Of the funding for Bruce County, $300,000 was used to fix drainage problems at the 30-unit Bruce County Housing Authority building in Walkerton. The remainder was used at Russell Meadows in Kincardine, the 45-unit building in Port Elgin, the 25-unit seniors' apartment in Formosa, and the seniors' building in Lion's Head, said Earle.

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30/05/2009 09:35 PM

It's all part of a $100-million investment by the province to repair social housing units in Ontario, said Mitchell. "Bruce County families have the right to live in homes that are safe, affordable and in good condition."

This initiative also raises awareness of the need for affordable housing, said Earle. "We have a waiting list of about 100 people in Kincardine, including senior citizens, couples, families and the disabled. The waiting list is 270 for the whole county."

Mitchell said investing in social housing is part of the province's poverty reduction strategy which will reduce the number of children living in poverty by 25 per cent over five years, lifting 90,000 children out of poverty by boosting benefits for low-income families and enhancing publicly-funded education. It's also part of the province's long-term strategy to provide affordable housing, in association with the federal government.

Bruce County Housing has 740 units in 14 communities, including its own buildings, four non-profit buildings, and apartments with private landlords. The housing authority's buildings are more than 30 years old.

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