MEADOW
LAKE, SK, May 24, 2024 /CNW/ - Women and children
fleeing interpersonal violence will soon have access to new
affordable rental units in Meadow
Lake in part thanks to investments by the governments of
Canada and Saskatchewan.
Today, Minister of Trade and Export Development and MLA for
Meadow Lake Jeremy Harrison, on behalf of Minister of Social
Services and Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Housing
Corporation Gene Makowsky, joined representatives from Meadow Lake
Tribal Council (MLTC) to announce the construction of a
second-stage fourplex to house women and children affected by
interpersonal violence.
Second stage housing provides safe, affordable, longer-term
support for women and their children to break the cycle of violence
and help them rebuild their lives. Clients receive counselling,
connections to education and employment and programs for their
children.
The new fourplex will include four three-bedroom affordable
rental units. Three units will be rented to families, and one will
be rented by the room to three individuals. Support services will
be provided to residents by MLTC and other community-based
organizations.
MLTC also operates the Waskoosis Shelter in Meadow Lake. The new second-stage units will
provide stability and support to women and children affected by
violence, and make way for new admissions to Waskoosis.
Construction of the new fourplex is expected to be complete in
spring 2025.
Funding provided for the project includes:
- $877,821 of joint funding through
the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) Saskatchewan
Bi-lateral Agreement under the National Housing Strategy (NHS)
and,
- $300,000 from MLTC.
Quotes:
"Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. That is why the
federal government is stepping up to support women and their
children fleeing violence and funding a new fourplex building in
Meadow Lake with build in
supports. – The Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister of Northern
Affairs, Minister responsible for PrairiesCan and Minister
responsible for CanNor
"Our government is proud to support this very important project
which will provide women and children in vulnerable situations with
a safe, stable and affordable place to live. We value our
partnership with the Meadow Lake Tribal Council and thank them for
their hard work and dedication to their community." – The
Honourable Gene Makowsky, Minister of Social Services and
Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation
(SHC)
"Our new second stage housing project will further support women
and their families who have moved away from their community and
want to start over in Meadow Lake.
They will be given the supports to break the cycle of interpersonal
violence and access to counselling, childcare, education and
training opportunities." – Marcia
Mirasty, Senior Director of Health, Meadow Lake Tribal
Council
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 municipalities, Indigenous governments and organizations, and
the social and private housing sectors. It was created after
consultations with Canadians from all walks of life, including
those who have experienced 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.
- As of December 31, 2023, the
Government of Canada has committed
over $42.99 billion to support the
creation of almost 152,000 units and the repair of over 270,000
units. These measures prioritize those in greatest need, including
seniors, Indigenous Peoples, people experiencing or at risk of
homelessness, and women and children fleeing violence.
- In 2019, the Government of Canada and the Government of Saskatchewan entered into an agreement through
the National Housing Strategy. The Canada-Saskatchewan Bilateral
Agreement will invest $585
million over 10 years, which is cost matched between the
federal and provincial governments.
- All funding provided under the NHS is cost-shared 50/50 by
the federal and provincial governments across a broad spectrum of
programs. While funding under the Rental Development Program (RDP)
may reflect a 100 per cent federal contribution, other programs
delivered under the NHS – SP may be 100 per cent
provincially funded.
- The RDP prioritizes funding to develop affordable rental
housing for households who are "hard-to-house" in Saskatchewan with incomes under the
Saskatchewan Household Income Maximums (SHIM)-Low. The RDP may fund
up to 70 per cent of a project's capital cost.
- MLTC has operated in Meadow
Lake since 1981 and has operated the Waskoosis Shelter since
1992. SHC and CMHC provided $1,333,947 for the construction of a new
Waskoosis shelter, through the Shelter Enhancement Program (SEP),
in 2020. The new building has 21 beds in six bedrooms,
accommodating up to six families at a time.
Associated
Links:
- Visit Canada.ca/housing for the most requested Government
of Canada housing
information.
- 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. CMHC's aim is that everyone in Canada has a home they can afford and that
meets their needs. 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,
visit www.placetocallhome.ca
- Check out the National Housing Strategy Housing Funding
Initiatives Map to see affordable housing projects that
have been developed across Canada.
- In November 2019, the Government
of Saskatchewan released
Saskatchewan's Growth Plan: the
Next Decade of Growth 2020-2030, which sets out the Government's
vision for a province of 1.4 million people by 2030. The Plan
identifies principles, goals and actions to ensure Saskatchewan is capturing the opportunities
and meeting the challenges of a growing province. To learn more,
visit www.saskatchewan.ca.
SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)