Twenty-four affordable housing units announced for West Prince

Provincial funding provided to three developers

O’LEARY – Island taxpayers will support the creation of 33 affordable housing units in Prince County.

The units - 12 in Alberton, 12 in O’Leary and nine in Summerside – account for nearly three per cent of the 1,200 new affordable housing units the province has set out to create across P.E.I. in the next two years.

G.E.M. Apartments Ltd. will construct 12 affordable housing units in Alberton, eight for seniors and four for families, and two developers will build units in O’Leary. JC Handyman Sales and Service Inc. will construct six affordable apartment units for families and EZL will be putting up six units for seniors.

G.E.M. Apartments will receive $270,000 from the province in construction and operating grants while JC Handyman and EZL will each receive $135,000 in provincial funding.

Park Place Meadow will receive the $414,000 to build the nine units for seniors and families on Pope Road.

“Summerside is no stranger to demands for affordable housing and we are very pleased to be able to partner with the provincial government on these nine new units,” said Kay Rogers, developer with Park Place Meadow. “The units are centrally located and close to amenities.”

Finding a suitable place to live can be challenging, said Human and Family Services Minister Tina Mundy on Friday.

“By forging these housing partnerships with private developers, we can be more responsive to the needs in our province,” said Mundy. Mundy added the province expects the buildings to exceed national standards for energy efficiency.

The province’s Housing Action Plan is offering a 12-year operating agreement and a 20year affordable housing agreement to ensure the units remain affordable, with tenants’ rents being no greater than 25 per cent of their income.

To learn more Islanders can visit https://www.hometogetherpei.ca/.