Members from all three levels of government came together Friday to announce that the federal government is investing $7.5 million dollars to help establish two new housing affordable housing developments that will be targeted for Indigenous peoples in Saskatoon.

The money being invested is through the Cities Stream, an extension of the Rapid Housing Initiative. The funds will be used to develop 18 units for single men through Cress Housing and the Saskatoon Tribal Council and 14 suites for families that are at-risk of homelessness through CUMFI.

Both housing projects will be located in the Pleasant Hill neighbourhood, close to where the newly-opened Round Prairie Elders’ Lodge is located.

Mayor Charlie Clark says there is an urgent need for affordable housing in Saskatoon. “What we know is that in our community when there’s been counts of homelessness and looking at who’s out there on the streets struggling, normally it comes back to 80 to 85 per cent of the population is First Nations or Metis.”

The federal government launched the Rapid Housing Initiative, through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation in October 2020. The initial funding for the initiative was $1 billion to help address urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians through the rapid construction of affordable housing.

The announcement was made over Zoom with Mayor Charlie Clark, CUMFI President Shirley Isbister, Saskatoon Tribal Chief Mark Arcand, Federal Minister of Housing, Diversity and Inclusion Ahmed Hussen, MLA for Saskatoon Riversdale Marv Friesen and City of Saskatoon Media Relations Coordinator Mark Rogstad (pictured).