Canada and British Columbia announce groundbreaking on of community housing in Kitselas

Gitaus, Kitselas First Nation, BC, October 13, 2022

Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home.

Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, Taleeb Noormohamed, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Granville, Murray Rankin, Province of British Columbia Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing alongside Chief Glenn Bennett, Kitselas Band Council announced a combined investment of over $25 million to support the creation of 40 units of on-reserve affordable rental housing as part of the Kitselas Community Housing Project.

The Government of Canada is contributing $3 million through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund (NHCF), in addition to $4.2 million through the Canada Community Housing Initiative (CCHI). The Province of British Columbia is investing more than $2 million from the Building BC: Community Housing Fund. The Kitselas First Nation provided the land for the project, valued at $300,000.

Located at 2350 Gitaus Road and operated by Kitselas Housing Society, the on-Nation project will provide 40 units of culturally appropriate market and affordable rental housing for members in greatest need, including families, youth, Elders, and people living with disabilities. All common areas, as well as 32 units, will be wheelchair accessible or adaptable.

Quotes:

“No relationship is more important to our government than the one with Indigenous Peoples. That is why we are committed to supporting better housing outcomes for Indigenous communities and together with our partners, like the Kitselas Band Council, we are going to deliver more housing options for Indigenous communities like right here in the Kitselas First Nation. This is just one of the many ways our government’s National Housing Strategy is creating safe and affordable housing across Canada."
— The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion

"Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund, our government is investing in affordable housing right here in Kitselas to help improve the quality of life for those who need it most. Thanks to today's announcement, more Elders, youth, families and people with physical disabilities will now have access to affordable homes. This is the National Housing Strategy at work."
— Taleeb Noormohamed, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Granville

“Indigenous Peoples face disproportionate challenges when it comes to finding and securing a safe and affordable place to call home. That’s why our government is developing housing like these new homes for people and families with diverse needs and mixed incomes to ensure that everyone in B.C. has a safe and affordable place to call their own."
— Murray Rankin, Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing

“These 40 new affordable homes will help Kitselas First Nation youth, families and Elders stay and live in the beautiful community they call home. Our government will continue to work in partnership to build homes like these across the province, to ease the burden on families and help make life better and more affordable."
— Nathan Cullen, MLA for Stikine

“Kitselas is excited to be constructing forty units that will be affordable housing for Kitselas seniors, single’s, multi family units. BC Housing and CMHC has given Kitselas an opportunity to bring Kitselas members home to their community & families. On behalf of Kitselas Band Council, thank you Ulyses & CMHC.”
— Chief Glenn Bennett, Kitselas Band Council

Quick facts:

This project is part of BC’s 10-year, $7-billion housing plan. Since 2017, the Province has funded more than 36,000 affordable new homes that have been completed or are underway for people in BC.
The Community Housing Fund is a 10-year provincial investment of $1.9 billion to build more than 14,000 affordable rental homes for families and individuals with low and moderate incomes.
More than 8,900 of these homes are already open, under construction or in development.
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 living 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.