Jan. 25, 2010
Canada, B.C. Announce New Seniors' Housing Construction

LANGLEY - The governments of Canada and British Columbia announced today $15.5 million for the construction of 322 modular housing units for seniors and persons with disabilities to be constructed by four B.C. modular housing manufacturers, including Britco Structures Inc. in Langley.

"The Government of Canada is helping Canadian seniors and persons with disabilities during these tough economic times by providing $3 million, made available for the initiative through our government's Economic Action Plan to stimulate the economy and create jobs during the global recession," said Mark Warawa, Member of Parliament for Langley, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). "Here in Langley, this achievement gives hope to seniors and people with disabilities who need quality affordable housing that meets their needs, while creating local jobs."

"Our government is committed to building housing for seniors and persons with disabilities so they can access affordable housing in their communities, while remaining close to family and friends," said Mary Polak, Minister of Children and Family Development and MLA for Langley. "In partnership with the federal government, we're funding the construction of these modular units through the Seniors' Rental Housing initiative to create high-quality, energy-efficient modular homes and also to create jobs that will boost the economy."

Through an amendment to the Canada-British Columbia Affordable Housing Agreement, the federal and provincial governments are contributing a combined total of $15.5 million for the construction of the 322 modular housing units. As part of the Seniors' Rental Housing (SRH) initiative, these modular units will be shipped to selected rural communities across the Province to provide affordable housing for independent seniors and persons with disabilities.

Britco Structures Inc. (Britco) will be constructing 124 modular housing units costing approximately $6 million. Founded in 1977, Britco designs and manufactures a wide variety of building types including social housing projects, workforce accommodations for remote locations, office complexes, school classrooms, and many other custom-designed buildings including daycare facilities, housing developments and hotels. Britco has over 300 employees with a number of offices around B.C. and manufacturing facilities in Agassiz and Penticton.

"Modular housing is an innovative way to reduce construction costs and time," said Tom Faliszewski, manager of special projects, Britco. "We are very pleased that the federal and provincial governments are looking at new ways to build social housing and we are very proud to be a part of this initiative. This housing program will make a huge difference in the lives of hundreds of seniors around our Province."

In addition to Britco, the three other successful proponents, selected by BC Housing, through a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued in August 2009, were: Northern Trailer, a division of Horizon North Logistics Inc, Chaparral Industries, and Freeport Industries Ltd. These companies will construct single-storey modular units utilizing B.C. forest products and designed to incorporate energy efficient features.

The SRH initiative is a result of a $365-million joint investment under an amendment to the Canada-British Columbia Affordable Housing Agreement, which includes funding through Canada's Economic Action Plan and by the Government of British Columbia. This initiative will provide $123.5 million, including $104 million for seniors and $19.5 million for persons with disabilities, to develop up to 1,000 new affordable rental housing units, which will help to stimulate local economies in smaller communities across B.C. Under terms of the agreement, the provincial and federal governments will provide matching contributions of $61.79 million.

Canada's Economic Action Plan builds on the Government of Canada's commitment in 2008 of more than $1.9 billion, over the next five years, to improve and build new affordable housing and help the homeless. It provides a total of $475 million, over two years, to build new rental housing, including $400 million for housing for low-income seniors and $75 million for housing for persons with disabilities. Overall, the Economic Action Plan includes $2 billion for new and existing social housing, plus up to $2 billion in loans to municipalities for housing-related infrastructure.

The Province of British Columbia's $14-billion capital infrastructure program is creating up to 88,000 jobs, helping to build vital public infrastructure in every region of the province and stimulating local economies across B.C.

For more information on this and other measures in Canada's Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.

To find out how CMHC is working to build stronger homes and communities for all Canadians, call CMHC at 1-800-668-2642 or visit www.cmhc.ca/housingactionplan.

Through Housing Matters BC, the Province is addressing a range of housing needs, from homelessness to affordable rental housing and home ownership. In 2009-10, the provincial housing budget is approximately $450 million, more than three times as much as in 2001.

To find out more about affordable housing in B.C., visit www.bchousing.org.

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