MOOSE JAW, SASK. — Ottawa and Saskatchewan are teaming up with Habitat for Humanity to build a home for a Moose Jaw family in need.
Ralph Goodale, minister of public safety and emergency preparedness, announced the federal and provincial governments will both assist in building a three-bedroom, two-storey home on Ominica Street West that will total 1,456 square feet.
“Over the years, our government has teamed up with Habitat for Humanity to create safe and affordable housing for Saskatchewan families, and this one is no different,” said Goodale in a press release. “There is a great deal of work and co-operation that takes place for each one of these builds. This investment will create a new home for a deserving family, a place they can proudly call their own. Our government is, and will always be, a proud partner.”
Each family Habitat selects for one its homes puts in 500 hours of volunteer work building their own home or on other Habitat projects. The family purchases their home at fair market value, paying an interest-free, zero down-payment mortgage set at 25 per cent of their annual gross income. On completion, the affordable no-interest mortgage is provided by Habitat to partner families with mortgage payments going back for future builds.
The province and federal government are jointly contributing $65,000 to build the home through the 2014-2019 Investment in Affordable Housing Agreement.
The project is part of Ottawa’s 10-year National Housing Strategy to create 100,000 new housing units and lift 530,000 families out of housing need, as well as repair and renew more than 300,000 housing units and reduce chronic homelessness by 50 per cent.
Since 2009, Saskatchewan has donated $10.85 million to habitat for humanity.
“We are pleased to work with Habitat for Humanity and its partners to bring lasting change to another Saskatchewan family in need of safe, stable and affordable housing,” said Moose Jaw Wakamow MLA Greg Lawrence. “Moose Jaw is a diverse community that works and builds together, and this sod-turning is another example of this commitment in action. Our government continues to stand with Habitat, and with the people of Saskatchewan to make great things happen across the province.”
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