Groundbreaking for New Affordable Housing in Ile-a-la-Crosse

ÎLE-À-LA-CROSSE, SASKATCHEWAN--(Marketwired - Sept. 10, 2014) - The Government of Canada and the Province of Saskatchewan, along with the Northern Village of Île-à-la-Crosse and SDC Construction Ltd., today marked the start of construction for five single family homes in Île-à-la-Crosse. These homes will benefit families living on low- to moderate-income by providing new affordable rental housing and accessibility.

Rob Clarke, Member of Parliament for Desnethé-Missinippi-Churchill River, on behalf of the Honourable Candice Bergen, Minister of State (Social Development), along with the Honourable Donna Harpauer, Minister of Social Services and Minister responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation, made the announcement.

"Our Government is investing in affordable housing in Saskatchewan to help create jobs and improve the quality of life for those families who need it most," said MP Clarke. "This funding will help people in Ile-à-la-Crosse access safe and affordable housing that meets their needs."

"We are proud to work with our partners to help meet the need for affordable and suitable housing in Île-à-la-Crosse," said Minister Harpauer. "The families who will live in these homes will have an increased quality of life, dignity and independence, which is a key goal under the Saskatchewan Growth Plan."

"Mayor and council of the Northern Village of Île-à-la-Crosse are happy that both governments are in support of alleviating some of the housing issues in northern Saskatchewan by providing these five new housing units aimed at low- to moderate-income earners," said Mayor Duane Favel.

The total project cost for the five three-bedroom single family homes is estimated at $1.4 million. Of that amount, the federal and provincial governments jointly contributed over $651,000 through the Canada-Saskatchewan Investment in Affordable Housing Agreement with the balance of funding derived from a combination of municipal funding, cash/land equity and mortgage financing.

Annually, the Government of Canada, through CMHC, will invest approximately $2 billion in housing. Of this amount, $1.7 billion will be spent in support of close to 600,000 households living in existing social housing. In Saskatchewan, this represents an estimated 28,000 households. The remaining funding supports housing-related activities and affordable housing programs, including the Investment in Affordable Housing. These investments are improving the quality of life for low-income Canadians and households living in existing social housing, including individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, seniors, persons with disabilities, recent immigrants and Aboriginal people. Economic Action Plan 2013 continues this commitment with a federal investment of more than $1.25 billion over five years to renew the Investment in Affordable Housing to 2019. The Government of Canada will ensure that funds provided to provinces and territories support the use of apprentices, which will support training of skilled labour. From April 2011 to June 2014, close to 184,000 households have benefited from this investment nationally, including 1,673 households in Saskatchewan.

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 2011, the Government of Saskatchewan has invested $326 million to develop more than 5,600 units and repair more than 24,300 homes around the province.

To find out more about how the Government of Canada and CMHC are working to build stronger homes and communities for all Canadians, call CMHC at 1-800-668-2642 or visit www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca.