Affordable Housing Project Officially Opens in Prince Albert

PRINCE ALBERT, SASKATCHEWAN--(Marketwired - May 29, 2017) - The governments of Canada and Saskatchewan, along with River Bank Development Corporation (RBDC), officially opened four single-family homes with support services for large families receiving crisis or life-skills assistance in Prince Albert.

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), and the Honourable Joe Hargrave, Minister of Crown Investments Corporations and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Prince Albert Carlton, on behalf of the Honourable Tina Beaudry-Mellor, Minister of Social Services and Minister Responsible for the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC), made the announcement today.

Quick facts:

- The project consists of the acquisition and renovation of four single-family homes. The average size of the homes is 1,588 square feet (147.5 square meters) over two levels. The renovations include the development of one- or two-bedrooms in the basement.

- The homes are located at 362 MacArthur Drive, 1911 13^th Street West, 1982 14^th Street West, and 1859 15^th Street West in Prince Albert.

- The federal and provincial governments, through CMHC and SHC, jointly contributed $440,000 towards this project under the Canada-Saskatchewan Investment in Affordable Housing (2014-2019) Agreement.

- RBDC 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.

Quotes:

"Through contributions from the Government of Canada, these homes will provide important affordable housing and support services for four families in need. Our Government is committed to helping the people of Saskatchewan access affordable housing, and we will continue to work with partners like the River Bank Development Corporation in delivering for families in need."

- Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

"Our Government is proud to work with the Government of Canada and the River Bank Development Corporation to provide homes with necessary supports for four local families in need. These families have the security of knowing they have a safe place to call home that will meet their life needs as they work towards a brighter future."

- Honourable Joe Hargrave, Minister of Crown Investments Corporations and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Prince Albert Carlton

"On behalf of River Bank Development Corporation, I want to express our appreciation to the Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan for their support on this project which will improve our communities and the lives of our families."

- Brian Howell, Executive Director, River Bank Development Corporation

Associated links:

- 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 over $750 million to develop or repair more than 15, 500 housing units across our province.