Released on July 7, 2017
The Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan, along with the City of Weyburn and Van Bee Holdings Ltd., officially opened Dominic Place, a 14-unit rental housing project that will support households with complex needs in Weyburn.Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), Energy and Resources and Weyburn-Big Muddy MLA Dustin Duncan, on behalf of Social Services Minister and Minister Responsible for the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC) Tina Beaudry-Mellor, City of Weyburn Mayor Marcel Roy, and Van Bee Holdings Ltd. President Mel Van Betuw, made the announcement today.
“Our government is working with partners in local communities like Weyburn all across Canada to ensure people in need have access to safe and affordable housing,” said Duclos. “The opening of Dominic Place is an example of all three levels of government and our private sector partners coming together to help people with complex needs have access to affordable rental housing. The Government of Canada looks forward to continue working with the Province of Saskatchewan and local partners to provide stable housing for all those who require it.”
“Our government is pleased to work with our partners to support Saskatchewan people in greatest housing need,” Duncan said. “Dominic Place adds 14 safe, quality homes that are affordable and will meet the needs of individuals and families for years to come. This is a great example of what can be accomplished when we invest in people, properties, and our future.”
“The City of Weyburn Council and I are extremely happy to see a project like this come to fruition,” Roy said. “The opening of Dominic Place allows those in need of supports to live independent lives in quality homes at an affordable cost. We are very proud to be a part of something that will help those who need it the most.”
“I am grateful for this opportunity to partner with the various levels of government to bring the concept of this project to reality,” Van Betuw said. “Taking this existing school, renovating and modernizing it, will provide affordable housing to our community for years to come. In the past my father was committed to providing quality affordable housing and Dominic Place has given me the opportunity to continue this tradition.”
Quick facts:
- The federal and provincial governments, through CMHC and SHC, jointly contributed $480,000 toward 12 of the 14 units through the Capital Rent Subsidy (CRS) under the Canada-Saskatchewan Investment in Affordable Housing (2014-2019) Agreement.
- SHC also provided $70,000 under the Rental Construction Incentive to the City of Weyburn to match municipal funding for the 14-unit project, totalling $140,000.
- Van Bee Holdings Ltd. provided about $1.6 million in the form of cash/equity and mortgage financing for the housing component.
- Dominic Place, located at 433 - 4th Street North East in Weyburn, is part new construction and part conversion/renovation of St. Dominic School. The project also contains commercial lease space, bringing the total project cost to $3.4 million.
- Of the 12 CRS-subsidized rental units, nine are located on the second floor and are of new construction, with the remaining three located on the main floor. The bachelor and one-bedroom units range in size from 399 square feet (37 square metres) to 772 square feet (71.7 square metres).
- Weyburn Mental Health and Van Bee Holdings Ltd. partnered together to provide access to affordable housing units for tenants over the age of 18 who require supports.
- This investment supports Saskatchewan’s Poverty Reduction Strategy goal of ensuring Saskatchewan people have access to affordable, safe, secure and stable housing.
- CMHC has been helping Canadians meet their housing needs for more than 70 years. 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 Canadian governments, consumers and the housing industry. Prudent risk management, strong corporate governance and transparency are cornerstones of CMHC’s operations. For more information, please call 1-800-668-2642 or visit www.cmhc.ca or follow CMHC Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.
- 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 $750 million to develop or repair more than 15,500 housing units across our province.
For more information, contact:
Émilie Gauduchon
Office of Minister Duclos
Ottawa
Phone: 819-654-5546
Email: Emilie.Gauduchon@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
Young Ong
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Calgary
Phone: 403-515-2962
Email: yong@cmhc-schl.gc.ca
Leya Moore
Social Services
Regina
Phone: 306-787-3610
Email: leya.moore@gov.sk.ca