Released on June 6, 2017
The governments of Canada and Saskatchewan, along with Oxford House Society of Regina, today celebrated the opening of two Oxford House homes in Regina. The homes will provide supportive, transitional housing for a total of 10 individuals who are recovering from alcohol and/or drug addiction and moving toward full independence.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) Tina Beaudry-Mellor, made the announcement today.
“The Government of Canada is proud to partner with the Oxford House Society to improve the lives of those recovering from addictions as they work towards living independently,” said Goodale. “We are committed to helping people in need in Saskatchewan have a safe and secure place to call home, and we will continue to make the investments that make real difference in families’ lives.”
“We are pleased to work with our partners to provide a capital investment for safe housing and support services for individuals who are recovering from addictions and working toward living independently,” Beaudry-Mellor said. “The two homes that are being opened today will meet their needs in a safe, caring environment. Our government is very proud to support Oxford Housing and the people who will call these spaces home.”
“Oxford House Society of Regina expresses its appreciation to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Saskatchewan Housing Corporation, and all other funders for the confidence shown in our organization by supporting this project,” Oxford House Society of Regina Executive Director Blair Pope said. “We strive to make our communities stronger by assisting those who want to break the cycle of dependence, vulnerability and homelessness.”
Quick facts:
- The federal and provincial governments, through CMHC and SHC, are jointly contributing nearly $468,000 toward the two homes under the Canada-Saskatchewan Investment in Affordable Housing (2014-2019) Agreement.
- The project consists of the acquisition and renovation of two existing homes. The completed renovations ensure that each home is suitable for five adults to live communally while they continue with sobriety and recovery from addictions.
- Each bedroom in an Oxford House is provided to an individual recovering from an addiction who signs an agreement and works toward independence. Oxford House Society of Regina has programming staff who work with its membership to develop and implement action plans with the goal of improving members’ lives and ultimately moving to full independence.
- Oxford House Society of Regina is comprised of democratically-run, self-supported post-treatment recovery homes with a system of operation for individuals to recover from alcoholism and drug addictions. As well as providing a sober living environment, Oxford House Society of Regina has proven to be an effective, low-cost alternative to support those individuals in recovery.
- This investment supports the Saskatchewan Poverty Reduction Strategy goal of ensuring Saskatchewan people have affordable, safe, secure and stable housing, as well as support the province’s Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan by supporting individuals recovering from addictions.
- 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 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 $750 million to develop or repair more than 15,500 housing units across our province.
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