Canadian Mortgage News

January 2006 National News Archive

Downtown Church Converted into Affordable Housing

BRANTFORD, Ontario, July 18, 2006 — Dalhousie Church Lofts Inc. celebrated the recent conversion of the former River of Life Church, to 17 new affordable rental units in Brantford. This unique project received approval for federal funding of $408,000 through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's (CMHC) Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program for Conversion. CMHC also provided an interest-free proposal development loan of $47,000, of which $16,000 has been forgiven. In addition, the City of Brantford waived the development charges for this project for a total municipal contribution of $49,845.00.

"Canada's new government is pleased to support this truly unique project to help meet the affordable housing needs of the residents of Brantford," said the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development.

The exterior and as much of the interior as possible was preserved. These new innovative units boast stained glass windows and unique floor design. There are 14 one-bedroom units, seven of which are accessible and 3 two-bedroom units.

"The City of Brantford is pleased to have had the opportunity to work with King Street Holdings (KSH) Ltd. on this affordable housing development. KSH did a magnificent job maintaining the heritage of this particular church while creating unique apartments for the residents of Brantford. The City is committed to creating additional rental stock and this is a step toward achieving that goal," said Mike Hancock, Mayor of Brantford

"The Dalhousie Church is a spectacular building that provides high quality affordable housing in the City of Brantford. We are very proud of this architectural gem and the opportunity we have to maintain its beauty. It is a rare piece of history and continues to serve a great purpose thanks to the support received from the City of Brantford and the Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation sponsored Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program," said Chris McNabb of KSH.

CMHC's Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program — Conversion provides assistance to convert non-residential properties into affordable self-contained rental housing units or bed-units. This program is available in all areas of Canada.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has been Canada's national housing agency for more than 60 years. CMHC is committed to helping Canadians access a wide choice of quality, affordable homes, while making vibrant, healthy communities and cities a reality across the country.

For more information, call 1-800-668-2642.

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News source: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)