Sunflower Manor Officially Opens in Moose Jaw

MOOSE JAW, SASKATCHEWAN--(Marketwired - June 23, 2014) - The Government of Canada and the Province of Saskatchewan, along with the City of Moose Jaw and Sunflower Developments Inc., celebrated the official opening of Sunflower Manor, a new affordable rental housing project for moderate-income individuals and families. Located at 651 - 4^th Avenue South West in Moose Jaw, the project consists of six units, including two that are accessible.

Ray Boughen, Member of Parliament for Palliser, on behalf of Candice Bergen, Minister of State (Social Development); along with Member of the Legislative Assembly for Moose Jaw Wakamow Greg Lawrence, on behalf of Social Services Minister and Minister responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation Donna Harpauer; and Her Worship Deb Higgins, Mayor of the City of Moose Jaw, made the announcement today.

"This project is a testament of how we can find solutions to housing when we work together to achieve the same goal, providing more affordable housing to this community," said MP Boughen. "Modular construction is a fast and effective way to get people in their new homes quickly; more importantly, it's helping those who need it most, by improving the quality of social housing for low-income individuals and families. I am proud of the role the federal government played in helping bring this project to life."

"We are pleased to work with the Government of Canada, the City of Moose Jaw and Sunflower Developments to help create more housing opportunities in Moose Jaw," said MLA Lawrence. "Consistent growth is allowing us to invest in programs and services that benefit those people who need it most. By doing that, we're achieving the goals set out in the Saskatchewan Plan for Growth, which includes making Saskatchewan the very best place to live in Canada."

"It is a pleasure to be a part of this exciting announcement," said Mayor Deb Higgins. "We are pleased to work in partnership with the other levels of government and Sunflower Developments to create Sunflower Manor, our new affordable rental housing project. This project will definitely assist Moose Jaw to support the needs of our growing community and add to the quality of life in Moose Jaw. "

"Sunflower Developments appreciates the funding assistance provided by the Government of Canada, the Province of Saskatchewan and the City of Moose Jaw for this affordable housing project called Sunflower Manor," said Deb Thorn, President of Sunflower Developments Inc. "Our goal is to provide quality rental accommodation to moderate income families at a reasonable rent - something that is simply impossible to do given the high cost of new construction. On behalf of my two business partners, Jami and Lonni Thorn, I am very pleased to announce that we now have six wonderful families who now call Sunflower Manor home. Mission accomplished!"

The total cost of the development is approximately $920,000. The Government of Canada, through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the Province of Saskatchewan, through Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC), provided a combined total investment of $240,000. In addition, the province and City of Moose Jaw jointly contributed $60,000 through the Rental Construction Incentive, a program which encourages the development of new purpose-built rental housing by matching assistance provided by municipalities to property developers (up to a maximum of $5,000 per unit).The funding balance of $620,000 was provided through cash, land equity and financing.

Sunflower Manor is a six-unit, multi-family modular construction project in Moose Jaw. Of the six units, two are one-bedroom and four are two-bedroom, ranging in size from 760 square feet or 70.6 square metres (one bedroom) to 1,250 square feet or 116.1 square metres (two bedroom).

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 March 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 $256 million to develop more than 4,500 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.