Released on June 6, 2019
The Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan, along with River Bank Development Corporation (River Bank), officially opened four single-family homes with support services for large families in 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), along with Crown Investments Corporation Minister and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Prince Albert Carlton Joe Hargrave on behalf of Social Services Minister and Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC) Paul Merriman, and River Bank Manager Brian Howell, made the announcement today.
The project consists of the acquisition and renovation of four single-family homes located in the Westview, West Flat and Midtown neighbourhoods in Prince Albert. The average size of the homes is 1,000 square feet (92.9 square metres).
“Together we can reduce chronic homelessness in our communities by 50 per cent by 2027–28,” said Goodale. “The Government of Canada is working together with River Bank, Saskatchewan and other partners in communities across Canada to provide more stable housing to people experiencing homelessness and increasing support for vulnerable groups. Not only does this bolster economic growth, it lays the foundation for prosperity, as these families now have the tools they need for their long-term success.”
“Safe, affordable housing is important to everyone, as it directly impacts every aspect of our lives,” Hargrave said. “Through partnerships such as these, we will continue to work together to create new housing opportunities for Saskatchewan families. Our government is pleased to be a part of this investment and, most importantly, help four families along the path to success.”
“River Bank is pleased to work with the federal and provincial governments and the City of Prince Albert to develop more affordable housing in Prince Albert,” Howell said. “We also want to thank our partners, Native Co-ordinating Council Family Services, Family Futures and Kids First, for supporting our tenants. This project will support four families as they raise their children and work toward achieving their goals in employment, education and a better life.”
Quick facts:
- The Government of Canada, through CMHC, and the Government of Saskatchewan, through SHC, jointly contributed $465,000 to this project through the Canada-Saskatchewan Investment in Affordable Housing Agreement.
- The Government of Canada is currently rolling out its National Housing Strategy, 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.
- Thanks to new investments proposed in Budget 2019, Canada’s National Housing Strategy will be a 10-year, $55 billion plan that will give more Canadians a place to call home.
- This project supports the Saskatchewan’s Housing Strategy, Poverty Reduction Strategy, the Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan and the Disability Strategy. These priorities include increasing housing supply, improving housing affordability and supporting individuals and families in greatest housing need.
- River Bank is a non-profit corporation operating in Prince Albert since 1998. Their mandate is to promote social and economic development in Prince Albert’s low-income community. Family supports, provided by service partners, include developing parenting skills, promoting healthy child development, mental health and addiction treatment services, referral to early learning and child care opportunities, social support, conflict resolution and problem solving. These service providers refer families to other services in the community as required.
- 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 www.cmhc.ca or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook. To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, visit www.placetocallhome.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 more than $790 million to develop or repair more than 16,000 housing units across our province. To learn more, visit www.saskatchewan.ca.
For more information, contact:
Valerie Glazer
Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
Ottawa
Phone: 819-654-5546
Email: valerie.glazer@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
Leonard Catling
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Calgary
Phone: 604-787-1787
Email: lcatling@cmhc-schl.gc.ca
Leya Moore
Social Services
Regina
Phone: 306-787-3610
Email: leya.moore@gov.sk.ca