Federal and Provincial Governments Support Emergency Shelter Initiatives in Saskatchewan

Released on June 26, 2018

• $1.8 million for Piwapan Women’s Centre and Sapohtewan House, La Ronge.
• $1.2 million for Waskoosis Safe Shelter, Meadow Lake.
• $268,000 for Isabel Johnson Shelter and Kikinaw Women’s Residence, Regina.
• $236,000 for South West Crisis Services, Swift Current.
• $180,000 for Shelwin House, Yorkton.
• $84,000 for Saskatoon Interval House, Saskatoon.
• $76,000 for The Battlefords Interval House, North Battleford.
• $67,000 for Project Safe Haven, Yorkton.
• $60,000 for Moose Jaw Transition House, Moose Jaw.
• $56,000 for Wichihik Iskwewak Safe House, Regina.
• $40,000 for Regina Transition House, Regina.
• $20,000 for Prince Albert Safe Shelter for Women, Prince Albert.

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), and Social Services Minister and Minister Responsible for the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC) Paul Merriman, made the announcement today.

“Women make up 80% of victims of police-reported intimate partner violence,” said Goodale.  “We all need to work together to end this and other forms of persistent gender-based violence (GBV) in Canada. The federal government is investing nearly $200 million in the first national strategy working to prevent and address GBV and is committed to working with all sectors, genders and generations to end this preventable form of violence.”

“Our government is pleased to work with the Government of Canada to support victims of domestic violence in Saskatchewan,” Merriman said.  “Through the Shelter Enhancement Program, we are able to support those who provide a safe environment to enable families to begin a new life of stability, dignity and self-sufficiency.  We are also proud to assist these community-based organizations as they work to help their clients embark on a brighter future.”

Quick Facts:

• Under the Canada-Saskatchewan 2016-2018 Social Infrastructure Fund, the SEP is contributing approximately $4.2 million to bring these projects forward.
• In total, the projects will rejuvenate 81 emergency shelter bedrooms, add four units of second-stage rental housing and renovate 25 units of second-stage rental housing for victims of domestic violence.  Improvements are intended to bring each facility to a similar standard of repair, safety, accessibility and comfort, and reduce operating costs.
• SEP provides funding—via a forgivable loan of up to 100 per cent of the capital cost—for the repair, improvement or construction of emergency shelter space and transitional housing for victims of domestic violence.
• 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 stakeholders including municipalities, Indigenous governments and organizations, and the social and private sector to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Canadians.
• This investment supports the Saskatchewan Housing Strategy, Disability Strategy and Poverty Reduction Strategy goals of ensuring Saskatchewan people have affordable, accessible, safe, secure and stable housing.

• 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 call 1-800-668-2642 or follow us on 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 $780 million to develop or repair more than 16,000 housing units across our province.  To learn more, visit www.saskatchewan.ca.