Sudbury, ON - Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario - FedNor
Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury, today announced a Government of Canada investment of $119,875 to help the Rural Ontario Institute (ROI) launch of the Rural Housing Information System (RHIS) in Northern Ontario. The announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister to Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNor.
This strategic investment will enable ROI to hire a Northern Ontario Program Coordinator to roll-out the RHIS, an innovative digital tool that supports municipalities and housing stakeholders in the planning, construction and sale of affordable housing. Funded through FedNor's Northern Ontario Development Program, this priority project is expected to on-board 145 northern municipalities to the RHIS, allowing them to better understand their housing supply and market conditions for planning and development purposes. The RHIS is currently used by 223 rural municipalities in eastern and western Ontario, which has led to the development of new affordable housing and economic development opportunities in these regions.
As part of the project, the Program Coordinator will meet with municipal, Indigenous and economic development stakeholders to introduce the RHIS and start collecting housing data. The initiative will also include system demonstrations for partners to collect feedback, improve system data and prepare for promotional sessions to encourage builders and developers to become actively involved.
Strong, growing communities create strong economies. That is why the Government of Canada is proud to be investing in projects like this one, which supports community economic development, business growth, strategic planning, and job creation in Northern Ontario.
