GOVERNMENTS OF CANADA AND SASKATCHEWAN BREAK GROUND ON NEW ELDER'S LODGE

PRINCE ALBERT, SK, April 28, 2023 /CNW/ - Vulnerable elders in need of secure, affordable housing will soon have access to 11 new units in the community of Prince Albert in part thanks to a $3.1 million investment by the governments of Canada, Saskatchewan, and Prince Albert.

Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Prince Albert Northcote Alana Ross, on behalf of Social Services Minister and Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation Gene Makowsky, alongside representatives from the City of Prince Albert and Prince Albert Community Housing Society Inc. (PACHSI), officially celebrated the beginning of construction on the Elder's Lodge. 

The project includes two one-story buildings that will house both singles and couples in Prince Albert, located at 1492-7th Street East and 656-20th Street East. One building will consist of a six-plex with three two-bedroom and three one-bedroom apartments. The second building will consist of a five-plex with two two-bedroom and three one-bedroom apartments, totaling 11 new homes. These units will provide elders in the community a secure and affordable place to call home with supports from PACHSI housing coordinators and housing support workers. Residents will be connected to supports such as NCC Family Services, Metis locals and the health region with opportunities to socialize, assistance with home keeping and meals on wheels. 

Residents are anticipated to move into the new units in fall of 2023.

Funding provided to the Elder's Lodge includes:

• $2.5 million from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCF)
• $297,000 from the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation through the Saskatchewan Co-investment Program (SCIP)
• $250,000 from Prince Albert Community Housing
• $66,000 under SEED Funding
• $30,000 from the Prince Albert Affordable Housing Trust

"Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Today's announcement reflects our ongoing collaboration with all orders of government to deliver meaningful results and increased affordability for Canadians. Through this combined investment, we are creating 11 supportive and affordable homes for vulnerable seniors in Prince Albert. This is just one of the many ways the National Housing Strategy is ensuring no one is left behind."  ? The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion

 "The Government of Saskatchewan is proud to support this project that allows people to live independently in their community. Our government will continue to work with partners to meet our commitment to improve housing affordability and better support people and families in greatest housing need." ? The Honourable Gene Makowsky, Minister of Social Services and Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC) 

"PACHSI is pleased to partner with CMHC and Saskatchewan Housing Corporation through the co-investment program under the National Housing Strategy, and the City of Prince Albert through their affordable housing trust fund. Without this support from the three levels of governments, these safe, secure and very affordable units for low-income indigenous elders would not have been possible." ? Linda Boyer, Manager of PACSHI 

"I want to thank the Government of Saskatchewan and PA Community Housing Society as they continue to step up and supply housing options to the residents of Prince Albert." ? His Worship Greg Dionne, Mayor of Prince Albert?

• The National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCF) is a $13.2 billion program under the National Housing Strategy (NHS) that gives priority to projects that help people who need it most, including women and children fleeing family violence, seniors, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, those with mental health or addiction issues, veterans, and young adults.
• Budget 2022 advanced $2.9 billion in funding under the NHCF to accelerate the creation of up to 4,300 new units and the repair of up to 17,800 units. Budget 2023 proposes to build on this momentum by allocating more of the Fund to building new units.
• Canada's National Housing Strategy (NHS) is a 10-year, $82-plus billion plan that will give more Canadians a place to call home.
• NHS is built on strong partnerships between the federal, provincial, and territorial governments, and continuous engagement with others, including municipalities, Indigenous governments and organizations, and the social and private housing sectors. This includes consultations with Canadians from all walks of life, and people with lived experience of housing need.
• All NHS investments delivered by the federal, provincial, and territorial governments will respect the key principles of NHS that support partnerships, people, and communities.
• As with all projects for women and children leaving violence, the address of this project has not been disclosed due to safety reasons.
• The Saskatchewan Co-Investment Program (SCIP) is a provincial program that complements the National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCF), a federal program administered by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) as part of the National Housing Strategy (NHS). Through SCIP, Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC) can provide project funding to eligible sponsors for a 10- year forgivable loan to support the construction of new affordable rental housing and the repair and renewal of existing affordable housing in Saskatchewan.
• In 2019, the Government of Saskatchewan and the Government of Canada entered into an agreement through the National Housing Strategy. The Canada-Saskatchewan Bilateral Agreement will invest $449.9 million over 10 years, which is cost matched by the federal and provincial governments.
• PACH is a long-standing affordable housing agency that partners with SHC to develop and operate a range of rental housing types with and without supports. They offer a wide variety of support services on homelessness and housing, poverty, and mental health.

• 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. CMHC's aim is that by 2030, everyone in Canada has a home they can afford and that meets their needs. 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, please 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 $806 million to develop or repair more than 18,000 housing units across our province. To learn more, visit www.saskatchewan.ca.

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation