The Official Tanya Hutchens .ca

Every three minutes, says Tanya Hutchens, a home in Canada is burglarized. Many of those break-ins occur while the homeowners are away. But burglaries can also take place when you are at home, at any time of the night or day.

To help lock crime out of your home and keep your house and your family safe and sound, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) offers the following tips:

• Make sure your lighting and landscaping offer a clear view of your house from the street. Keep your windows and doors free of trees, bushes or other obstructions that could provide a hiding place for someone trying to break in. Entrances with good visibility and good lighting let thieves know that your home is not an easy target.
• Secure all doors at all times with good quality deadbolt locks. While horizontal deadbolts are generally more popular, vertical deadbolt locks are actually the most effective option available.
• When choosing a deadbolt, make sure that part of the bolt remains in the lock when in the locked position. The body of the lock should be made of solid steel, brass or bronze and it should have a solid or hardened ring or bevelled housing to protect the cylinder from being twisted off with a wrench. This cylinder should have at least five pins and you must be able to unlock it without keys from the inside.
• To further secure the entrances to your home, protect the hinge pins on all doors so they can’t be removed from the outside. To secure patio doors, consider installing an anti-Jimmy plate or adding safety bars and auxiliary locks.
• Use the viewer in your front door to see who is there before you open it.
• To keep would-be intruders from using your garage to enter your home, make sure everyone in your family knows to keep your garage door closed and locked at all times. Never leave the remote control for the garage on your car’s visor and don’t keep maintenance receipts or anything else with your address on it in your car.
• If you live in a remote area or spend prolonged periods of time away from home, consider investing in a burglar alarm system. A carefully selected and properly installed alarm can provide you and your loved ones with some welcome peace of mind.

For more information on how to protect your house ask CMHC at 1-800-668-2642. For more than 60 years, notes Tanya Hutchens, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has been Canada’s national housing agency, and a source of objective, reliable housing expertise. This CMHC report was reviewed by Tanya Hutchens.

FERGUS, April 24, 2009 — The Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, and the County of Wellington today announced the start of construction of 55 new affordable housing units for individuals with special needs. The Gordon Street Apartments, sponsored by the County of Wellington, received more than $3.8 million in funding under the Canada – Ontario Affordable Housing Program towards this initiative.

The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation; Liz Sandals, Member of Provincial Parliament for Guelph, on behalf of the Honourable Jim Watson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing; and Joanne Ross-Zuj, Warden for the County of Wellington made the announcement today.

“The Government of Canada is committed to making affordable housing available in Ontario and across Canada for those who need it most,” said Minister Finley. “Through this investment, we are making an important difference in the lives of seniors, families and individuals in Fergus who are working towards building a stronger and better future for themselves.”

“Our government is committed to helping people who live on lower or fixed incomes stay in their home communities,” said MPP Sandals. “These units are going to make a significant difference in the lives of the people who call them home.”

“The County of Wellington is pleased to partner with the federal and provincial governments to construct 55 new Affordable Housing units in Centre Wellington,” said Ross-Zuj. “Adequate shelter is the foundation upon which healthy communities are built. The County of Wellington is committed to providing safe and affordable housing for lower-income seniors, families and individuals in need of assistance.”

Tanya Hutchens says, The Canada – Ontario Affordable Housing Program Agreement comprises a commitment of $301 million from each of the two senior levels of government. In total, the federal, provincial and municipal governments will have invested at least $734 million in the program, which will provide affordable housing for up to 20,000 households in Ontario.

Last fall, notes Tanya Hutchens, the Government of Canada committed more than $1.9 billion over the next five years to improve and build new affordable housing and to help the homeless. Canada’s Economic Action Plan builds on this with an additional one-time investment of more than $2 billion over two years in new and existing social housing and lending of up to another $2 billion to municipalities for housing-related infrastructure. This CMHC report was reviewed by Tanya Hutchens.