Construction Begins for New Affordable Housing Project in North Battleford

NORTH BATTLEFORD, SK, Aug. 23, 2018 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada and the Province of Saskatchewan, along with the Battlefords Indian and Métis Friendship Centre (BIMFC), officially announced the start of construction of an eight-room co-housing project, including support services, for individuals who are considered hard-to-house in North Battleford.

The Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, on behalf of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), along with the Honourable Paul Merriman, Minister of Social Services and Minister responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC), His Worship Ryan Bater, Mayor of the City of North Battleford and Jackie Kennedy, Executive Director of BIMFC, made the announcement today.

Quotes:

"Our Government's Poverty Reduction Strategy will cut the number of Canadians living in poverty in half because every Canadian deserves a real and fair chance to succeed. Affordable housing projects like this one in North Battleford are an important part of the strategy. For up to eight hard to house individuals, these new units are more than just safe and affordable places to live, they are key to help break the cycle of homelessness and to a better life for the residents who will call them home." ? Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

"The vision and commitment of the BIMFC to help improve the lives of some of Saskatchewan's hardest-to-house individuals is commendable. Our government shares this goal, and we are excited to support this project and, most importantly, the vulnerable individuals who will soon have a place to call home with the support services they require. We congratulate everyone involved for making this important project happen, and for supporting those in greatest housing need." ? Honourable Paul Merriman, Minister of Social Services and Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation

"The Supported Rooming House model will provide long-term housing for eight hard to house individuals with supervision and supports to help break the cycle of homelessness. We would like to acknowledge all the funders that supported this project: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Saskatchewan Housing Corporation, the City of North Battleford and Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs Community Development Corporation. We look forward to embracing our future together and empowering one another to seek safer healthier lives." ? Jackie Kennedy, Executive Director, Battlefords Indian and Métis Friendship Centre

Quick Facts:

• The Federal and Provincial Governments, through CMHC and SHC, is providing $580,000 towards this project under the federal/provincial 2014-2019 Investment in Affordable Housing Agreement.
• The City of North Battleford is providing $108,000 for this project towards the land and the costs of site servicing.
• BIMFC has received a $130,000 Community Development Corporation grant from the Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs for this project. An additional $10,000 has been approved by CMHC.
• This project will provide safe housing for up to eight "hard-to-house" individuals, along with the supervision and support they need to help break the cycle of homelessness.
• The project is located within walking distance of the Friendship Centre, at 1132 98^th Street in North Battleford. The project consists of the construction of an eight-bedroom bungalow of approximately 3,350 ft² (311.22 m²), including a developed basement. Three of the bedrooms will be accessible and one bathroom will be fully accessible.
• The Government of Canada is currently rolling out its National Housing Strategy (NHS), an ambitious 10-year, $40 billion plan that will create 100,000 new housing units and lift 530,000 families out of housing need as well as repair and renew more than 300,000 housing units and reduce chronic homelessness by 50 percent.
• The NHS is built on strong partnerships between federal, provincial and territorial governments, and on continuous engagement with others, including municipalities, Indigenous governments and organizations, and the social and private sectors to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Canadians.
• This investment supports the Saskatchewan Housing Strategy and Poverty Reduction Strategy goal of ensuring Saskatchewan people have affordable, safe, secure and stable housing, including those who may be rebuilding their lives.

Associated Links:

As Canada's authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. For more information, please visit cmhc.ca or follow us on Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.

To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, visit www.placetocallhome.ca.

In October 2012, the Government of Saskatchewan released the Saskatchewan Plan for Growth: Vision 2020 and Beyond, which sets out the Government's vision for a province of 1.2 million people by 2020. The Plan identifies principles, goals and actions to ensure Saskatchewan is capturing the opportunities and meeting the challenges of a growing province. Since 2007, the Government of Saskatchewan has invested more than $780 million to develop or repair more than 16,000 housing units across our province. To learn more, visit www.saskatchewan.ca.

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation