REGINA, SK, June 28, 2022- Everyone deserves safe and affordable housing in Canada.
Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion announced a federal contribution of nearly $34 million to support the creation of 68 transitional housing units and 40 shelter beds, for a total of 108 housing units, as well as critical support services at the YWCA Regina Centre for Women and Families building in the city’s downtown core.
The Honourable Gene Makowsky, Minister of Social Services and Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation, Regina Mayor Sandra Masters, and Melissa Coomber-Bendtsen, the CEO of the YWCA Regina, also joined Minister Hussen to make this announcement. The Government of Saskatchewan, through Saskatchewan Housing Corporation is providing $1 million and the City of Regina is providing the land valued at $2 million. To date, YWCA Regina is bringing $13 million in capital funding to the project through their ongoing community capital campaign.
These investments will support women and children fleeing domestic violence, and experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Regina.
The 85,000 sq ft, YWCA Regina Centre for Women and Families building will also function as a hub that provides crisis and preventative services through the work of YWCA Regina and partnerships with other community serving organizations and visiting practitioners. These wrap around supports will address the barriers that keep vulnerable women and children in homelessness and violent situations. The building will also feature community multi-purpose spaces, access to drop-in supports and essential needs, communal kitchens, and indoor and outdoor play areas.
The project will be owned and operated by YWCA Regina, the city’s oldest and largest women’s multi-serving organization, offering the city’s only homeless shelter for women and families and one of three domestic violence shelters. The building is expected to be completed in Fall of 2024.
Quotes:
“Everyone deserves safe and affordable housing. This investment brings much-needed emergency and supportive transitional housing units and support services for over 100 vulnerable women and children in Regina. Our government remains committed to working with our partners to address the real housing needs across Canada and ensure no one is left behind. This is the National Housing Strategy at work.” – The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion
“The Government of Saskatchewan continues to work alongside our community partners to make affordable housing more accessible and to support families in need. That is why we provided funding towards the YWCA Regina Centre for Women and Families, through our partnership with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. We are proud of this investment, which will provide safe and affordable housing supports to women and children who are in vulnerable situations and serve as the foundation as they build a healthier, brighter future for themselves and their families.” – The Honourable Gene Makowsky, Minister of Social Services and Minister Responsible for Saskatchewan Housing Corporation
“To have all three levels of government working in partnership alongside our community and investing collectively in the Centre for Women and Families is incredible. Regina’s Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan highlights domestic and intimate partner violence as a priority area of focus. This project will add capacity for our city to assist our vulnerable women and children with the supports and services they need.” – Mayor Sandra Masters, City of Regina
“The Centre for Women and Families has been, since day one, a project built from love, community, perseverance, and the belief that together, we can foster equity and healing. To see this hard work come into fruition today as we break ground is truly an incredible feeling. This wrap-around hub of support is the first-of-its-kind in Canada, and the services we will be able to provide in this space will be truly transformative for our community’s women and families.” – Melissa Coomber-Bendtsen, YWCA Regina CEO
Quick facts:
- The National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCF) is a program under the National Housing Strategy (NHS) that gives priority to projects that help people who need it most, including women and children fleeing family violence, seniors, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, those with mental health or addiction issues, veterans, and young adults.
- With a budget of $13.2 billion, the NHCF plans to:
- Create up to 60,000 new homes
- Repair up to 240,000 homes
- Create or repair at least 4,000 shelter spaces for victims of family violence
- Create at least 7,000 new homes for seniors
- Create at least 2,400 new homes for people with developmental disabilities
- Budget 2022 proposes to advance $2.9 billion in funding under the NHCF to accelerate the creation of up to 4,300 new units and the repair of up to 17,800 units.
- The Government of Canada’s National Housing Strategy (NHS) is an ambitious, 10-year plan that will invest over $72 billion to give more Canadians a place to call home.
