HOUSING COMPLEX FOR SINGLE PARENTS OPENS

The Hope Centre, a rental housing complex for single parents, officially opened today in Meadow Lake thanks to federal, provincial and municipal funding totalling $1.7 million.

The project was undertaken by the Meadow Lake Outreach Ministries Inc. (MLOM) and is supported through the Government of Canada's National Homelessness Initiatives' Urban Aboriginal Homelessness Fund (UAH) and the Centenary Affordable Housing Program (CAHP), part of Saskatchewan's HomeFirst strategy.

"Canada's new government is committed to improving the quality of life in our communities," Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Diane Finley said. "By supporting projects like the Hope Centre, we can continue to empower communities to develop home-grown solutions to address homelessness and housing issues."

"This project exemplifies what HomeFirst is all about, which is providing low-income Saskatchewan residents the opportunity to live in safe, affordable housing," First Nations and Métis Relations Minister Maynard Sonntag said on behalf of Community Resources Minister Buckley Belanger. "We are pleased to work with the federal and municipal government and community partners to make projects like this a reality, and to ensure that no one is left behind on the path to opportunity."

"The Town of Meadow Lake would like to congratulate the Hope Centre for its contribution to the community and its leadership in giving low-income, single parents an opportunity to improve their quality of life," Meadow Lake Mayor Darwin Obrigewitsch said. "The Meadow Lake Outreach Ministries Inc. should be commended on its vision and commitment to providing such a facility to the people of the Meadow Lake area."

The housing project features 14 housing units, including one, two and three bedrooms, for low-income, single parents. There are also two transitional housing units for single parents requiring a short-term stay in safe housing. The Hope Centre is close to the MLOM's Door of Hope, which provides support to low-income people through numerous social programs. In addition, the facility includes a licensed child care facility with 25 spaces partially funded through the provincial government's Early Learning and Child Care program.

The breakdown of CAHP funding is $350,000 from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, $350,000 from Saskatchewan Housing Corporation, and a $70,000 in-kind land contribution from the Town of Meadow Lake. The Government of Canada's National Homelessness Initiative Urban Aboriginal Homelessness Fund provided $899,976. The balance of the funding for the $1.79-million project comes from a mortgage ($127,705).

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For More Information, Contact:

Trudy Jackson Community Resources Regina Phone: (306) 787-4011

Craig Henry Service Canada Regina Phone: (306) 780-3218