The federal government has teamed up with the government of Ontario to offer up funding for affordable housing in Kingston.
Steve Clark MPP, for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lake, and Ian Arthur, MPP for Kingston and the Islands, along with MP for Spadina—Fort York Adam Vaughan and Kinston Mayor Bryan Paterson were at the development site of a mixed-income apartment complex on Friday to announce $625,000 for the project.
That money will go towards five affordable housing units in the 40-unit building.
The project will have a mix of one-bedroom, two-bedroom and bachelor units, and is expected to be completed by fall 2021.
The funding comes from the federal-provincial Investment in Affordable Housing program.
The announcement comes the same day council slated for the eviction of campers living at the Belle Park encampment.
The city has since said that those staying in the park would not be removed Friday, but that it would be working with campers to gradually transition them away from the park.
Despite the city’s deadline and eventual goal of moving the campers, many have expressed the lack of any other affordable housing options in the city to transition to.
In a tweet Friday, Paterson thanked both federal and provincial members of parliament for the funding.
“If Belle Park has shown us anything, it’s the dire need for supportive/affordable housing in #ygk. Grateful to have all levels of gov here today to invest in affordable housing,” Paterson wrote.