New affordable housing facility opens in Regina
A new six-unit affordable housing facility for families with complex needs officially opened on Thursday in Regina.
The property is managed by Gabriel Housing Corporation, a non-profit organization serving the Métis community within Regina by providing low income and affordable housing to the people who need it most.
The complex is located on the corner of 13th Avenue and Edward Street and consists of 2 two-bedroom units, 2 three-bedroom units and 2 four-bedroom units.
This project was in partnership with the Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan, and the City of Regina.
Local effort
Gabriel Housing Corporation provided a combined contribution of $758,000 in mortgage financing and land equity, and the City of Regina contributed $90,000 to the project.
"To try to keep it more affordable, we as an organization have to put in more cash value," said Ray Hamilton, president of Gabriel Housing Corporation.
Hamilton added the rent for these units will be around $900.
Hamilton said that assistance received from all levels of government for this project is crucial for the organization to stay viable.
"As an organization which is non-profit, you don't generate much at the end of the day. So you need around 500 units to really make enough revenue to offset some of these costs."
Support services
Gabriel Housing Corporation worked with the Aboriginal Family Services Centre to find tenants for the housing unit and to provide support services to the people who eventually move in.
Delora Parisian is the executive director of Aboriginal Family Services. She said that her organization has already found tenants for the new spaces, and the ones they are looking to support are deemed "hard to house".
"We have families where 20 individuals have to live in one home, we have families who are sleeping in ravines just north of the city," said Parisian.
She said the agency also works with clients who are addicted to drugs, have cognitive disabilities or mental health issues.
"It is very critical to our people that we are able to assist them with housing," said Parisian.
"Our workers will work with them consistently for a period of time until we can completely change that situation around for them -- or help them change that situation around."
She said that her organization has helped 312 families with different housing needs. For this housing complex, their program workers were asked to present who they felt needed the housing, and then they prioritzed the applicants according to need.
Parisian said although they have been able to help many with housing needs, the number of people in need of affordable housing is still high.
Federal and provincial contribution
The federal and provincial governments have contributed $405,000 each to the project under the Canada-Saskatchewan Investment in Affordable Housing Agreement.
Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said that this is another step forward for an affordable housing strategy for the federal government, and that the federal government has added $54 million dollars to accelerate the pace of affordable housing development across Saskatchewan.
He said that over the next two years, the federal government hopes to increase national investment in affordable housing, and create a brand new housing strategy for the future.
