The County of Prince Edward’s application for $14.2 million through the Accelerator Housing Fund to support local affordable housing initiatives has been unsuccessful.
“I am extremely dismayed and disappointed that our strong application did not garner the support of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC),” Mayor Steve Ferguson says. “We had to wait for seven months to find out the decision of our application, which will cause unfortunate delays in moving several projects forward all of which are to create affordable housing.”
In May 2023, County Council approved the Prince Edward County Housing Plan 2023 to 2028 and directed staff to submit an application to the Housing Accelerator Fund. The municipality applied for funding to support a variety of needs including the redevelopment of Queen Elizabeth School, extension of the secondary suite program, and investment in transitional and worker housing.
“I remain troubled by the lack of funding from upper levels of government for affordable housing, especially for rural communities,” Mayor Ferguson says. “Despite this setback, we will continue to work with the community and our partners to make progress on this high priority issue.”
Municipal staff are currently evaluating the impact of the CMHC decision. Staff will present a report at the April 11 Committee of the Whole meeting that will include potential solutions for moving ahead with the redevelopment of Queen Elizabeth School.
For more information, contact Adam Goheen, Director of Housing, at 613.476.2148 extension 4001 or email agoheen@pecounty.on.ca.