Canada and Alberta Announce Funding for Indigenous Housing

Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. That is why governments of Canada and Alberta are funding four housing projects designed, delivered and owned by, and for, Indigenous peoples.

Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), and the Honourable Josephine Pon, Minister of Seniors and Housing announced details of the $13.1 that the governments of Canada and Alberta will be providing for the four projects.

The four projects include two in Alberta’s big cities, Edmonton and Calgary, and two in rural locations, Lac Ste. Anne and Victor Lake near Grande Cache. In northwest Edmonton, the project involves the purchase of a 34-unit building for affordable housing. The funding in Calgary, Lac Ste. Anne and Victor Lake will go to create 12 seniors’ housing units in each location.

Overall, these projects will create about 100 jobs and help grow the local economy, while supporting communities across Alberta.

In Alberta, the funding is provided through the Indigenous Housing Capital Program (IHCP), which supports Indigenous governments and communities to build affordable off-reserve, off-settlement and on-settlement housing. The program ensures a flexible, autonomous approach, and encourages public and private developers to partner with Indigenous governments and organizations.

Federal funding for the IHCP is provided through the 10-year bilateral housing agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of Alberta, announced in Spring 2019, and will help provide the 70 affordable housing units for this project.

IHCP applications are accepted on a continuous basis and are now available at alberta.ca/ihcp. The next quarterly deadline is March 31.

Quotes:

“Through the National Housing Strategy, it is with great pleasure that our Government is supporting these four Indigenous-owned housing projects throughout Alberta, so that collectively, we are better able to lift vulnerable populations of all races, age, and gender, find a home that meets their needs. These types of investments in our communities help create new jobs and stimulate the economy, while providing access to safe, affordable homes.”

“Improving Indigenous housing must be a priority for the Government of Canada. Elders have contributed so much to their communities, making sure that they have safe and affordable housing is one way to give back to them. With our partners at the Government of Alberta, the Tribal Chiefs Ventures Inc., Victor Lake Cooperative, Evergreens Foundation, Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary, and Lac Ste. Anne Métis Community Association, we are building a generation of new housing that we can all be proud of.”

“Alberta’s government is pleased to support four new housing projects to be delivered for and by Indigenous communities. Our program encourages public and private developers to partner with Indigenous governments and organizations, and I am proud that two of the new projects feature Indigenous and non-Indigenous partnerships.”

“Everyone deserves a safe, affordable and accessible home, and this important project will provide good homes to those who need them. Indigenous people are over-represented among the houseless, and having access to affordable homes keeps a roof over the head of more Indigenous people and offers a safe place for people to build their lives and heal. This project is a good example of what we can accomplish when different orders of governments and Indigenous governments and organizations work together.”

“This long outstanding item for affordable housing for our Tribal Chiefs Ventures Inc. members has finally come to fruition. This collective effort is a step forward and great start in addressing housing shortages for all our six nation members. We would like to acknowledge the Creator, our elders, Chiefs and all working groups to help make this a reality.”

“On behalf of the Victor Lake board and our Elders, we are very proud to be receiving the IHCP funding and entering into a partnership with the Evergreens Foundation. This development will be the core of our community, and will serve our elders for generations to come. Our elders will be supported in a facility that respects our culture and keeps them in the community as long as possible.”

“The Evergreens Foundation, in partnership with the Victor Lake Cooperative, is delighted to enter into this grant agreement under the IHCP with the Province of Alberta. We have made it a priority to house our seniors within their home communities, whenever possible, and this ground-breaking project will be an exciting expression of that crucial priority. We look forward to working with our partners in fulfilling their long-held dream to provide stable, culturally appropriate housing for Elders from Victor Lake and other Indigenous communities in our region.”

“Our Elders are the heart of our communities, and they deserve to live their lives with dignity. This is a one-of-a kind project that will provide much needed accessible, affordable, and culturally safe housing for our Indigenous seniors.”

“This funding creates an incredible opportunity to provide our Elders with stable, safe, affordable housing located in our home community of Lac Ste. Anne. This independent living development, to be operated in its early stages through a collaboration with the Communitas Group, fulfills a critically important short-term goal for our community.”

Quick facts:

• In addition to the four IHCP construction projects announced today, two others have been approved for funding, with construction underway:
  • As announced in September 2020, the Métis Capital Housing Corporation will receive up to $7 million in capital funding, to repurpose 10 single-family homes in Edmonton into 23 family housing units.
  • As announced in August 2020, the Elizabeth Metis Settlement, near Cold Lake, will receive up to $3 million in capital funding, to build 10 new four-bedroom homes. The housing will serve Métis families living on settlement.
• Announced in 2019, the 10-year bilateral agreement between the Governments of Canada and Alberta, under the National Housing Strategy (NHS), will invest $678 million to protect, renew and expand social and community housing, and support Alberta’s priorities related to housing repair, construction, and affordability.
• Canada's National Housing Strategy (NHS) is a 10-year $70+ billion plan that will give more Canadians a place to call home — this includes more than $12 billion committed through the 2020 Fall Economic Statement.
• The 2020 Fall Economic Statement proposes to increase the lending capacity of the existing National Housing Strategy’s Rental Construction Financing Initiative by an additional $12 billion over seven years. This new funding will enable CMHC to support the construction of an additional 28,500 purpose-built rental housing units across Canada.
• Alberta’s Recovery Plan is a bold, ambitious long-term strategy to build, diversify, and create tens of thousands of jobs now. By building schools, roads and other core infrastructure, we are benefiting our communities. By diversifying our economy and attracting investment with Canada’s most competitive tax environment, we are putting Alberta on a path for a generation of growth.

Associated links:

• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
• Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan
• Rapid Housing Initiative
• National Housing Strategy

As Canada’s authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. CMHC’s aim is that by 2030, everyone in Canada has a home they can afford, and that meets their needs. For more information, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.

The Alberta Ministry of Seniors and Housing fosters the development of affordable housing and supports access to housing options for Albertans most in need. The ministry works with seniors, their families and caregivers, Albertans who require housing supports and communities and other government partners. A more detailed description of the ministry and its programs and initiatives can be found at alberta.ca/ministry-seniors-housing.aspx.

Learn more about Alberta’s affordable housing programs.

Media contacts:

Mikaela Harrison
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
Mikaela.Harrison@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

Leonard Catling
Media Relations
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
lcatling@cmhc-schl.gc.ca

Natalie Tomczak
587-596-8187
Press Secretary, Seniors and Housing (Alberta)