Province announces 36 new units for low-income Islanders 

New affordable housing opportunities for Islanders in Charlottetown and Souris will help support stronger, more inclusive Island communities. 

Through the Affordable Housing Development Program, the Province of Prince Edward Island has partnered with three developers to create 36 social housing units, including 34 in Charlottetown and two in Souris. These units will support Islanders on the social housing registry with rent set at 25 per cent of income. 

“Not only will these units bring 36 social housing units for low-income Islanders but will add 53 market units to the current supply. The benefits of this program are two-fold, creating additional social housing units while also supporting new market units which creates movement in the market. This translates to greater access to affordable housing for all Islanders.”

- Social Development and Housing Minister Brad Trivers

“We see a need for additional affordable housing in Charlottetown through our existing properties and accessing Provincial support was paramount to being able to keep the rents affordable,” says Kirk MacKinnon, Empire Developments. “This support helped us accelerate our design and development process and brings the project closer to fruition. We look forward to being able to start construction in the spring of 2022.” 

The Affordable Housing Development Program provides up to $55,000 per unit to non-profit corporations, private entrepreneurs and development corporations, housing cooperatives or municipalities to help increase the number of affordable housing units in the province. New builds, buildings currently under construction or renovations to existing buildings, are eligible for funding through the program. 

Through this program, along with investments in mobile vouchers and 100 new government-owned social housing units announced in the 2020-2021 capital budget, the provincial government is committed to adding 1,200 new affordable housing units by 2024. 

The province has already initiated 953 out of the 1,200 units. The 2021-2022 Operating Budget included $32.4 million to provide more affordable housing for Islanders.  

As of September 30, 2021, there were 121 seniors and 189 families or individuals on the social housing registry. 

Media contact:
Rebecca Gass
Senior Communications Officer 
Social Development and Housing
rjgass@gov.pe.ca

Backgrounder 

More information on the 36 new affordable housing units:

Charlottetown 

• Provincial government is partnering with two developers; Empire Developments Inc., to add 33 family/senior social housing units; and Riley Cameron, to add one senior/family social housing unit in Charlottetown.
• Government has signed a 15-year agreement with both developers to maintain the housing as affordable for Islanders on the housing registry. 
• The projects are in the planning and/or permitting stages of development.

Souris 

• Provincial government is partnering with Heartwood Properties to add two seniors/family social housing units in Souris and has signed a 15-year agreement to maintain the housing as affordable for Islanders on the housing registry. 
• Construction will begin in November 2021.