[homeles_ot-l] FW: CMHC social housing renovation and retrofitcreates jobs, helps commun...

Mon Jun 8 10:56:44 EDT 2009

Hi Folks,

Below is an announcement of long overdue dollars to fix up social housing in
Canada. Of concern is the absence of any plans to ensure that work is
carried out using  lead precautionary principles.  Canada unlike the U.S.
does not have a cadre of contractors knowledgeable or even aware of lead
safe practices. 

Please assist us by sending a quick email to the Honourable Diane Finley,
Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible
for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
<mailto:Finley.D at parl.gc.ca> mailto:Finley.D at parl.gc.ca, letting her know
that Canadian children deserve the opportunity to grow up in health housing
and to please consider making funding for contractors contingent upon their
completing a lead-safe training program.

Kelly O'Grady, RN

Executive Director,

The First Six Years

219 Welland St.,
Pembroke, ON CANADA
K8A 5Y5
Tel: 613-735-0717
Fax: 613-732-2859

Email: lead at nrtco.net

Web:  <http://www.first6years.org/> www.first6years.org 

The First Six Years is a grass roots organization  whose primary mandate is
the promotion of optimal social, physical, and environmental conditions for
the development of healthy productive children.  We achieve this goal
through the use of  environmental monitoring and surveillance and public and
professional education.

We recognize that the first six years of a child's life is an important
period of brain and nervous system development.  Childhood, extending from
the prenatal period to approximately age five years is a time of rapid
growth and development.  This makes children highly susceptible to the toxic
influences of environmental threats such as lead, mercury, PCBs, pesticides
and ionizing radiation.  

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

 <http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/> Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Transmitted by CNW Group on : May 24, 2009 13:43
CMHC social housing renovation and retrofit creates jobs, helps communities

OTTAWA, May 24 /CNW Telbec/ - Social housing across Canada can now access
funding for renovation and retrofit projects, the Honourable Diane Finley,
Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and Minister Responsible
for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), announced today.
"Social housing projects funded and administered by CMHC can now access
the funding they need to move forward quickly on repairs and renovations
needed to enhance aging housing stock across Canada. This funding benefits
communities by renewing social housing, as well as improving the quality of
life for the people who live there," said Minister Finley. "These projects
will also have tremendous spin-off benefits in terms of creating jobs and
helping to stimulate our economy."

As part of Canada's Economic Action Plan, the Government announced $1
billion for social housing renovation and retrofit. Of this amount, CMHC
will
deliver $150 million targeted to federally administered social housing. The
remaining $850 million is being delivered by the provinces and territories
on
a cost-shared 50/50 basis under the Affordable Housing Initiative to the
existing social housing projects they administer.

Eligible repairs include general improvements, energy-efficiency upgrades
or conversions and modifications in support of persons with disabilities.
"We congratulate Minister Finley and CMHC on launching the renovation and
retrofit initiative announced in the 2009 federal budget," said Nicholas
Gazzard, Executive Director of the Co-operative Housing Federation of
Canada.
"This funding is welcome indeed. Besides providing much-needed economic
stimulus, it will help to ensure that Canada's housing co-operatives are
preserved as a legacy for the long-term benefit of all Canadians."

As Canada's national housing agency, CMHC draws on more than 60 years of
experience to help Canadians access a variety of quality, environmentally
sustainable, and affordable homes -- homes that will continue to create
vibrant and healthy communities and cities across the country.

More information on this and other measures in Canada's Economic Action
Plan, a plan to stimulate the economy and protect those hit hardest by the
global recession, can be found at:
 <http://www.budget.gc.ca/2009/home-accueil-eng.asp>
http://www.budget.gc.ca/2009/home-accueil-eng.asp.

To apply, or for more information, visit CMHC's website at:
 <http://www.cmhc.ca/housingactionplan> www.cmhc.ca/housingactionplan or by
phone at 1-800-668-2642.

INVESTMENTS IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR CANADIANS
CMHC-ADMINISTERED RENOVATION AND RETROFIT

The Government of Canada's commitment to affordable housing is 
significant.

Overall, Canada's Economic Action Plan provides a total of $7.8 billion to
build quality housing, stimulate construction, create jobs, encourage home
ownership and enhance the energy efficiency of Canadian homes. In the
process,
it will provide new and renovated housing for more than 200,000 Canadian
households.

Of the $7.8 billion, more than $2 billion is provided through CMHC to
build new and renovate existing social housing. This will include:
- $1 billion for social housing renovation of which $850 million will be
delivered by provinces and territories on a cost-shared 50-50 basis
under the Affordable Housing Initiative to existing social housing
projects they administer. The remaining $150 million will be delivered
by CMHC for social housing it administers directly off reserve;
- $600 million for new housing and repairs to existing social housing on-
reserve and in the North broken down as follows:
- $400 million for on-reserve communities
- $200 million for the North
- $400 million for housing for low-income seniors; and
- $75 million for housing for people with disabilities.

In September 2008, the Government of Canada also announced $1.9 billion
over five years for housing and homelessness programs for low-income
Canadians. As part of this investment, the Affordable Housing Initiative and
the federal renovation programs for low-income households, were extended for
two years.
As well, up to $2 billion in low-cost repayable loans for housing-related
infrastructure projects will be made available to towns and cities across
the
country.

The Government of Canada, through CMHC, spends approximately $1.7 billion
annually to support almost 625,000 low- and moderate-income households in
existing social housing across Canada.

-30-

/For further information: Kristen Scheel, CMHC Media Relations, (613)
316-2949; Beth Bailey, CMHC Media Relations, Ontario Region, (613) 988-4615;
Michelle Bakos, Office of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human
Resources and Skills Development Canada, (613) 218-9288/

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

CANADA MORTGAGE AND HOUSING CORPORATION - More on this organization

 <http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/orgDisplay.cgi?okey=1172> News Releases
News Releases
(526) 

Government of Canada

GOVERNMENT OF CANADA - More on this organization

 <http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/orgDisplay.cgi?okey=12570> News
Releases
News Releases
(2338) 

  _____  

CNW Group Ltd is pleased to offer a personalized e-mail service providing
you with news and information from Canada's foremost public and private
companies, government agencies and non-profit organizations. This free
service lets you select the companies you are most interested in tracking
and delivers their news releases directly to your personal e-mail address.

Internal Virus Database is out-of-date.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.560 / Virus Database: 270.12.26/2116 - Release Date: 15/05/2009
6:16 AM

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://list.web.net/lists/private/homeles_ot-l/attachments/20090608/61bcb509/attachment-0001.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/gif
Size: 20534 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://list.web.net/lists/private/homeles_ot-l/attachments/20090608/61bcb509/attachment-0005.gif>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/gif
Size: 68 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://list.web.net/lists/private/homeles_ot-l/attachments/20090608/61bcb509/attachment-0006.gif>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/gif
Size: 73 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://list.web.net/lists/private/homeles_ot-l/attachments/20090608/61bcb509/attachment-0007.gif>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/gif
Size: 98 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://list.web.net/lists/private/homeles_ot-l/attachments/20090608/61bcb509/attachment-0008.gif>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/gif
Size: 1125 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://list.web.net/lists/private/homeles_ot-l/attachments/20090608/61bcb509/attachment-0009.gif>