Canada will fund 117 new housing units for Indigenous communities in Saskatchewan

Nine Indigenous communities in northern Saskatchewan will receive 117 new housing units.

On Thursday, the federal government announced more than $22.9 million in funding through the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) to support 117 new housing units for Indigenous people across the province of Saskatchewan.

“No relationship is more important to our government than that with Indigenous peoples. These new homes in Saskatoon and across Saskatchewan will provide families with access to safe, affordable housing in their own communities,” said Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.

“These projects not only provide more housing opportunities, but also support the social and economic well-being of the entire community. »

The Onion Lake Cree Nation will receive more than $9 million for the construction of 45 new homes in two projects. The Clearwater Dene Nation (CRDN) will receive more than $1.4 million in funding to build 20 new single-family homes for women, children and seniors.

“This is very good news for us…. I certainly hope that the federal government will continue to look at this program, not just for us, but also for other First Nations who still have many housing problems,” said CRDN Chief Teddy Clark. “Housing has always been a major issue for everyone. This has always been one of my priorities…. We have a lot of overcrowding.

Statistics Canada states on its website that “more than one in five First Nations people (21.4 percent, or 224,280 people) lived in overcrowded housing in 2021, with 12.9 percent living in housing with a one-bedroom deficit, 4.8 percent living in overcrowded housing in 2021. a two-bedroom deficit and 3.8 percent living in a three or more bedroom deficit.

“Overall, the proportion of First Nations people living in crowded housing decreased by 1.2 percentage points compared to 2016.”

The $22.9 million in funding will be used to:

• Onion Lake Cree Nation: $9,413,985 for 45 new homes (20 mobile homes and 25 single-family homes).
• Denare Beach: $771,728 for three new mobile homes.
• Lac Deschambeault: $2,438,937 for 10 new mobile homes.
• Muskeg Lake Cree Nation: $302,286 for four dwellings in a fourplex.
• Pelican Narrows: $3,601,395 for 14 mobile home units.
• Sandy Bay: $2,315,183 for nine mobile home units.
• Southend: $1,914,719 for nine mobile home units.
• Sturgeon Landing: $771,728 for three mobile homes.

&copy 2023 PKBNEWS, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.