Released on September 15, 2016
The Government of Canada and the Province of Saskatchewan, along with the City of Saskatoon and the Saskatoon Housing Coalition, today celebrated the official opening of 20 new rental units for at-risk individuals who require support services as they work toward living independently.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), along with Member of the Legislative Assembly for Saskatoon Fairview Jennifer Campeau, on behalf of Social Services Minister and Minister responsible for the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC) Tina Beaudry-Mellor, and City of Saskatoon Mayor Donald Atchison, made the announcement today.
“Our government is committed to increasing affordable housing for people in need throughout the country, including Saskatoon,” said Goodale. “We will continue partnering with provinces to fund financially sound housing complexes and help improve the lives of our most vulnerable populations.”
“Our government is pleased to support this housing project, which will help 20 Saskatoon individuals continue to build independence in a supportive and caring environment,” Campeau said. “Together with our partners, we are working to keep Saskatchewan strong and this project is a wonderful example of that vision in action.”
“I am pleased that the City of Saskatoon is offering financial support for this project that will provide stable and supportive housing for twenty Saskatoon residents,” Atchison said. “This project is one of several that has been supported under the City’s Ten-Year Housing Business Plan. The City of Saskatoon has invested more than $6 million in support of more than 2,000 attainable housing units in just four years.”
“On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of the Saskatoon Housing Coalition, we are pleased to announce the opening of our newly constructed apartment building which offers affordable supportive apartment units to those who have been waiting many months to access our services,” Saskatoon Housing Coalition, Inc. Executive Director Jo-Ann Coleman Pidskalny said. “In addition to being in a neighbourhood offering a sense of security and access to amenities, these tenants can be supported successfully to live independently for many years to come, ultimately experiencing an improved quality of life.”
Quick facts:
- This project, Camponi Transitional II, will house 20 Saskatoon Housing Coalition clients with complex behaviours (including mental illness and addiction issues). These individuals will benefit from the Coalition’s intensive supports which include life skills and counselling.
- Located at 323 Camponi Place in Saskatoon, the project is owned by the Saskatoon Housing Coalition, which has provided supportive housing to individuals with mental illness since 1983.
- The Federal and Provincial governments, through CMHC and SHC, jointly contributed $1.9 million through the Investment in Affordable Housing (IAH) Agreement.
- The City of Saskatoon also provided $282,000 in financial support.
- The funding balance of $595,000 is being provided in the form of cash/land equity and financing.
- An identical project on the same site, christened Shirley Skelton Manor, was completed in 2014, with federal/provincial funding of $2 million under the IAH.
- 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, provide support for Canadians in housing need, and offer 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.
- 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 almost $700 million to develop and repair more than 14,600 homes around the province.
- Canadians are invited to help shape the National Housing Strategy by joining the conversation on www.LetsTalkHousing. Your ideas will help shape the future of housing in Canada.
- Follow CMHC on Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.
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For more information, contact:
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