New housing being built across the north
- EFN Staff | September 17, 2014
Northern communities face immense challenges compared to their urban and southern relatives. Travel and isolation makes things people take for granted very expensive and hard to come by. Housing certainly fits that category.
Recently Social Services Minister and Minister responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation Donna Harpauer toured the north cutting ribbons and making several affordable housing announcements.
Through the combined efforts of the Government of Saskatchewan and the Northern Village of Pinehouse Lake, 10 new home ownership units officially were opened in Pinehouse Lake. Located at Kawagak Crescent, the project will provide opportunities for those Pinehouse Lake households who are ready to transition into homeownership.
The province, through Saskatchewan Housing Corporation, contributed $500,000 to the Pinehouse Lake Home Ownership Program from the provincial Summit Action Fund to help finance the construction of the homes.
“We are pleased to work with the Northern Village of Pinehouse Lake to help meet a need for safe, quality housing that is also affordable,” Social Services Minister and Minister responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation Donna Harpauer said. “Most importantly, we are working together to support individuals and families in Pinehouse Lake who wish to become homeowners. This is one priority under the Saskatchewan Plan for Growth and we are proud to move it forward.”
“This collaborative housing project has helped us plan and implement effective strategies in terms of housing in our community,” Pinehouse Mayor Mike Natomagan said. “This model, formed through partnerships, can now be looked at as exemplary by other northern communities. The partnership has also spurred beneficial capacity building by way of training opportunities, financial education, employment motivation and pride in homeownership. This partnership between this government and Pinehouse is directly and positively affecting families toward self-determination and prosperity. We thank this particular government for the continued support and we look forward to future partnerships on upcoming projects.”
The Government of Canada and the Province of Saskatchewan, along with the Northern Teacher Education Program Council Inc. (NORTEP) also celebrated the official opening of new housing in La Ronge. Eight units of affordable rental housing are provided to students and their families as they pursue their education in La Ronge.
“This project is the result of individuals, business and government working as a team to help make good things happen in Saskatchewan communities,” Harpauer said. “The availability of safe and secure, appropriate housing for these students while they are in school greatly increases their chances of success. We are proud to work with our partners to help these students on their path to success, and support the goals outlined in the Saskatchewan Plan for Growth.”
“The lack of housing in northern communities has been identified in study after study,” NORTEP-NORPAC Inc. President and CEO Dr. Herman Michell said. “This project will allow in particular First Nations and Métis students, who make up the majority of our student population, to finish their degrees with comfort knowing they do not have to worry about a roof over their heads while they are trying to complete their university requirements.”
The NORTEP Student Family Housing Project, located at 321 Louis Road, includes six four-bedroom units and two five-bedroom units, with an estimated building cost of $2.74 million. Four of the units are funded by the province’s Rental Development Program, made possible by the Canada-Saskatchewan Investment in Affordable Housing Agreement and the other four units are funded by the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation’s Summit Action Fund along with sponsors’ financing.
Ile-a-la-Crosse opened five three-bedroom single-family homes at an estimated cost of $1.4 million. Of that amount, the federal and provincial governments jointly contributed more than $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.
“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,”
Île-à-la-Crosse Mayor Duane Favel said.
The Buffalo Narrows project consists
of a single-storey four-plex. Each one-bedroom unit will be approximately
560 square feet or 52 square metres. The four-plex will be located at
1619 Hanson Street in Buffalo Narrows.
“The Mayor and Council of the Northern Village
of Buffalo Narrows are pleased to partner with the federal and provincial
governments to build the new four-plex singles housing units in the village,”
Buffalo Narrows Mayor Estelle Laliberte said. “We know that won’t take
care of all the singles’ housing problems, but it’s a start. We
appreciate the opportunity given to us, to provide at least four units and
hopefully we can do more in the future with this kind of partnership.
Thank you from the Northern Village of Buffalo Narrows.”
Two two-bedroom semi-detached homes, for a total of four units in La Loche were also announced. The project is on two adjacent lots at 14 and 24 Moise Avenue in La Loche. This project will provide housing to low income single-parent families in a community where housing is in high demand.
“La Loche is greatly appreciative of the continual support and investment from both the Government of Canada and the Government of Saskatchewan in addressing our community’s objectives in providing low income and affordable housing and improving the overall quality of life for our residents,” La Loche Mayor Georgina Jolibois said.