On-Reserve Social Housing Announcement

October 02, 2009

Brocket, AB – The Government of Canada announced today an investment of $3.7 million, as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, to improve housing conditions for the Piikani Nation community.

Ted Menzies, MP for Macleod and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance, on behalf of the Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians, made the announcement along with members of the Piikani Nation community. 

“The need for suitable and affordable housing for First Nation people is well recognized,” said MP Menzies. “The On-Reserve Housing Retrofit Initiative will assist with repairs, renovations, modifications to address overcrowding and energy retrofits of existing on-reserve social housing.”

The application call for the On-Reserve Housing Retrofit Initiative, under Canada's Economic Action Plan (CEAP), was very successful and has generated a large number of applications.  As a result CMHC will be able to fully allocate all the available funding under this initiative. Of the funding announced today, CMHC will allocate more than $853,000 to retrofit 41 social housing units and INAC will allocate $2.9 million over a two-year period towards various housing initiatives, such as renovations and conversion to market based housing, for the Piikani Nation. Additionally, other federal funding sources are being leveraged to assist the Piikani Nation in skills development for the overall maintenance of its housing program.

Through CEAP, the Government of Canada has committed $400 million over the next two years to help First Nation communities build needed new housing, repair and remediate existing non-profit housing for their members, and complement housing programs offered by CMHC and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC). This investment will also provide an economic stimulus for many First Nations and surrounding areas by creating jobs.

For more information on the Housing Retrofit Initiative, go to www.cmhc.ca/housingactionplan.