Governments Of Canada And Saskatchewan Celebrate The Opening Of Affordable Rental Units In Northern Saskatchewan

Released on September 27, 2023

Residents of La Loche have improved access to affordable housing, thanks to investments from the governments of Canada and Saskatchewan.

Member of the Legislative Assembly for Athabasca, Jim Lemaigre, on behalf of Social Services Minister and Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation Gene Makowsky, joined representatives from Methy Housing Corporation to officially welcome tenants into their new homes and announce the start of construction on additional homes in the area.

The grand opening marks the completion of the final eight one-bedroom tiny homes in the 28-home project to provide affordable housing to individuals facing homelessness in La Loche. Funding provided to the eight Methy Housing Corporation Tiny Homes includes:

• $677,880 from Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC) through the Rental Development Program
• $500,000 from Infrastructure Canada through the Reaching Home Program
• $140,000 from the Northern Village of La Loche
• $64,000 from Methy Construction and Maintenance Corporation

The new construction will provide low-income housing for six single parent households. Residents are anticipated to move into the new homes by summer 2024. Funding provided to the six Methy Housing Corporation Single-Parent Housing includes:

• $677,880 from the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation through the Rental Development Program
• $420,000 from Infrastructure Canada through the Reaching Home Program
• $105,000 from the Northern Village of La Loche
• $15,000 from Methy Construction and Maintenance Corporation

"Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home," said Dan Vandal, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Minister of Northern Affairs. "Today's announcement is another example of the federal government's ongoing collaboration with Saskatchewan to deliver results and create spaces for some of society's most vulnerable members."

"The Government of Saskatchewan is working toward our goal to make affordable housing more accessible and to support families in greatest housing need," Lemaigre said. "We will continue to work with our community partners to connect La Loche residents to affordable housing and support them in raising their families, planning for the future and building a life in their community."

"Following the successful completion of twenty-eight Tiny Homes for homeless singles, Methy Housing Corporation identified Single Parent Families as next targeted group of much needed housing in the community," Methy Housing Corporation President Georgina Jolibois said. "The project will create six new residences in the community providing a safe, affordable and supportive environment for single mothers and their children. Methy Housing Corporation appreciates the on-going funding support from Saskatchewan Housing Corporation and Métis Nation - Reaching Home and looks forward to continued partnership approach in addressing housing needs for our community."

Quick Facts:

• 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.
  • Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy was launched in April 2019 and supports the goals of the NHS, in particular, to support the needs of the most vulnerable Canadians; to improve access to safe, stable and affordable housing; and to reduce chronic homelessness by 50 per cent by 2027-28.
  • Reaching Home is a community-based program aimed at preventing and reducing homelessness across Canada. This program provides funding and support to urban, Indigenous, territorial and rural and remote communities to help them address their local homelessness needs.
• In 2019, the Government of Saskatchewan and the Government of Canada entered into an agreement through the National Housing Strategy. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)-Saskatchewan Bilateral Agreement will invest $449.9 million over 10 years, which is cost matched by the federal and provincial governments.
• Methy Housing Corporation is a non-profit organization owned by the Northern Village of La Loche that owns and operates affordable housing units in the village. Since 2007, SHC has worked with Methy Housing Corporation to develop 145 affordable housing units (including this project) in La Loche.

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, please visit www.placetocallhome.ca.
• To find out more about the Reaching Home program, please visit Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy

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For more information, contact:

Kevin Collins
Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
Email: Kevin.Collins@infc.gc.ca

Media Relations
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Email: media@cmhc-schl.gc.ca

Media Relations
Social Services
Regina
Phone: 306-787-3610
Email: MediaMSS@gov.sk.ca