Hamilton is receiving $10.8 million through the federal government’s rapid housing initiative (RHI), and the details have been released about how that money will be allocated.
The funding will be used to build 45 new affordable homes for 53 people on the city’s housing wait list, at four locations throughout the city.
Toronto MP Adam Vaughan, the parliamentary secretary to the minister of families, children and social development, says the successful projects were recently recommended by city council.
“There is no city that is as focused on housing, in terms of its charter, in terms of its housing program, in terms of its capacity to deliver than Hamilton,” he said.
The four projects are to be completed within the next year and the units will be geared towards women at risk of homelessness, Indigenous women and seniors.
They include the construction of a new, low-rise modular building on George Street and the conversion of office and commercial spaces at three other lower city locations, on King Street East, Ottawa Street North and Ferguson Avenue.
Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger says the city was able to work quickly after the federal government started accepting applications through the rapid housing initiative.
“We actually got this through council within a month from the announcement, a month later we had the locations identified,” he said.
With $1 billion allocated through the RHI, the federal government hopes to support the construction of up to 3,000 new, permanent affordable housing units across the country.
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