The units are designed for seniors with a slight loss of autonomy. The project cost in excess of $4 million, in order to improve affordability for its tenants. A large part of the cost was covered by the provincial and federal governments.

" We're talking about housing that's affordable and accessible. So, with the Rent Supplement Program, tenants can pay. There are eleven tenants, in fact, who will be able to pay up to 25% of their income. So that's what we mean by affordable and accessible housing," explains Catherine Blouin, MNA for Bonaventure.

Without this expansion, seniors would have had to move to another municipality offering similar services.

" It was a need for our community. We don't want to uproot our seniors. They're the builders of our village. Occupancy, housing, they're all full," adds Rémi Lagacé, mayor of Saint-François-d'Assise.

The Office d'habitation Baie-des-Chaleurs will provide services at the site, from support resources to repairs.

" For us, it's very important, because it allows us to, of course, keep people in their village, in their community, in a land of knowledge, too, and that's very important.is very important," emphasizes Jacques Rivières, President of the Office d'habitation Baie-des-Chaleurs.

Saint-François-d'Assise already had some housing for seniors. The facilities, however, were no longer completely safe. Expansion was essential to ensure the long-term survival of the residence.

" The installations were outdated, we couldn't put in sprinklers like they were asking for in all the RPAs and so on. As a result, they now live in a much safer environment, adapted to their needs. There are bathrooms in all the rooms, whereas here, we had one bathroom for ten people. It really wasn't ideal," adds Pauline Gallant, former director of the Office municipal d'habitation in Saint-François-d'Assise.

Source: cimtchau.ca/