Construction of new rental housing project begins in Prince Albert

PRINCE ALBERT, SK, Sept. 5, 2018 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada and the Province of Saskatchewan, along with Canadian Mental Health Association Prince Albert (CMHA), officially broke ground on a new six-unit rental housing project for individuals who have complex needs and require supports to secure and maintain housing.

The Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, on behalf of Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), along with the Honourable Joe Hargrave, Minister of Crown Investments Corporation and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Prince Albert Carlton, on behalf of the Honourable Paul Merriman, Minister of Social Services and Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC), and Doug Kinar, Executive Director CMHA Prince Albert, made the announcement today.

Quotes:

"Our Government's 10-year, $40-billion National Housing Strategy will cut chronic homelessness by 50% over the decade. Projects like this one are an important part of the strategy, and will help improve the quality of life of individuals living with mental illness and disabilities in Prince Albert. The support services provided by the dedicated staff at CMHA Prince Albert is already making a big impact, and soon this new rental housing project will add capacity to their housing program, allowing them to help even more people and families. Together we are building a stronger, more inclusive community that we can all be proud of." ? Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

"Our government is pleased to help support "hard-to-house" individuals in Prince Albert and throughout Saskatchewan. These homes will provide a safe and stable living environment, along with the supports the residents require to participate more fully in life and build a better future. We are pleased to work with our partners to continue to better serve Saskatchewan people in greatest need and keep Saskatchewan strong and on track." ? Honourable Joe Hargave, Minister of Crown Investments Corporation and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Prince Albert Carlton

"CMHA Prince Albert is proud of the housing program we have created in partnership with all levels of government. Our program utilizes a support worker obtained through funding provided by the Saskatchewan Health Authority. Adding six more units to our housing stock maximizes this caseload. The success of the program is due in large part to the efforts of the support worker and can also be attributed to each tenant for their willingness to work towards accountability to maintain their independence. We look forward to further success into the future as we continue to work towards sustainable, affordable housing for people living with mental illnesses".  ? Doug Kinar, Executive Director, Canadian Mental Health Association Prince Albert

Quick Facts:

• The Government of Canada, through CMHC, and the Government of Saskatchewan, through SHC, jointly contributed $612,500 to the project through the Canada-Saskatchewan 2016-2018 Social Infrastructure Fund (SIF) Agreement.
• Tenants will be individuals living with complex needs such as mental illnesses and other concurrent disorders, and will be provided support services to ensure they remain securely housed.
• The project will consist of six one-bedroom units located at 538 7^th Street East in Prince Albert. Each unit is approximately 560 ft² (52 m²).
• 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 per cent.
• 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 Province's Housing Strategy, Poverty Reduction Strategy and Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan to increase community capacity to ensure Saskatchewan people in greatest need, including people living with persistent and complex mental health and addictions issues, have access to affordable, safe, secure and stable housing and team-based supports they may require.
• Established in 1997, CMHA Prince Albert is a non-profit corporation focussing on assisting those with mental illness. It provides a drop-in centre (The Nest), vocational, recreation, education and wellness programming, a community kitchen and a lunch program. CMHA Prince Albert is already operating 16 affordable rental units, which were also developed in partnership with SHC.

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 NHS, 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