Ten Regina families get a new start as homeowners with support from Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan

REGINA, Nov. 27, 2018 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada, the Government of Saskatchewan and Habitat for Humanity (Habitat) have partnered to help 10 Regina families realize their dream of owning a safe, quality home. The units are part of Haultain Crossing, Habitat's multi-unit family housing development which will house a total of 62 Habitat partner families upon completion.

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), and the Honourable Paul Merriman, Minister of Social Services and Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC), and Kelly Holmes-Binns, Chief Executive Officer of Habitat for Humanity Regina, made the announcement today.  

Quotes:

"There's a great deal of work and cooperation that takes place during Habitat for Humanity builds. Our Government is proud to partner in initiatives that increase housing supply and help bolster local economies. The investments in these new homes will make a real difference in the lives of ten hard working families, a place they can proudly call their own." ? The Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

"The Haultain Crossing project is very meaningful to all the Habitat families involved, its partners, supporters, volunteers and the Eastview community. Our government is committed to providing affordable homeownership in the province through support of Habitat's program. We will always stand with the people of Saskatchewan and stand firm on issues that matter, including housing." ? The Honourable Paul Merriman, Minister of Social Services and Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation

"The addition of ten new homes to the Haultain Crossing Project is evidence of the remarkable vision and planning of Habitat for Humanity. These affordable homes are bringing new life to the neighbourhood and creating pride and hope for the future in these homeowners. I am very proud of the City's long-term support of Habitat for Humanity, which Includes $150,000 in support for this phase of the project." ? His Worship Michael Fougere, Mayor, City of Regina

"We are very excited to welcome these 10 new families into their new homes and to announce that we have officially reached the halfway completion point for the largest Habitat development in Saskatchewan. Affordable homeownership is a life-changing experience for our families. Thanks to the donors, supporters, volunteers and families, we are able to provide a hand up to local low-income families through safe, decent and affordable homeownership." ? Kelly Holmes-Binns, Chief Executive Officer, Habitat for Humanity Regina

Quick facts:

• Located at 1033 Edgar Street, Haultain Crossing will contain 62 townhouse-style condominiums upon completion. Together, the main and upper floors of each home will total 1,216 ft² or 113 m².  Homes assigned to larger families will have a partially finished basement.
• The Government of Canada, through CMHC, along with the Government of Saskatchewan, through SHC, jointly contributed $400,000 toward the project under the Canada-Saskatchewan Investment in Affordable Housing Agreement.
• The City of Regina provided funding of $15,000 for each of the 10 homes for a total of $150,000.
• Lead private sponsors for the 10 units include Farm Credit Canada (FCC), Town and Country Plumbing and Heating, and The Mosaic Company.
• The Mosaic Company (Mosaic) directed $50,000 towards the purchase of materials for one unit that Habitat and the Trade and Skills Construction Apprenticeship Program (TASCAP) partnered together on. This partnership engages and trains high school students during the construction of some Haultain Crossing units.
• TASCAP is real life education for students who are on site daily for an entire semester during the construction of the home. Qualified instructors lead students through the build from the foundation up. Students earn high school credits through the program in addition to apprenticeship hours they can apply against future trades training.
• 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.
• The Province's overall commitment to Habitat totals $10.85 million since March 2009. This total includes $1 million announced with the 2018-2019 provincial budget, with funding from the Canada-Saskatchewan Investment in Affordable Housing Agreement.
• This investment also supports Saskatchewan's Housing Strategy and Poverty Reduction Strategy goal of ensuring Saskatchewan people have access to affordable, safe, secure and stable housing.
• Each partner family selected by Habitat for Humanity contributes 500 partnering hours in building their home or other Habitat homes. The family purchases their home at fair market value, paying an interest-free, zero down-payment mortgage set at 25 per cent of their annual gross income.  Upon completion, the affordable no-interest mortgage is provided by Habitat to partner families with mortgage payments going back for future builds. To learn more about Habitat for Humanity and their work across Saskatchewan, visit www.habitat.ca.

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, Instagram, 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