The federal government has funded 38 new housing units in Sault Ste. Marie to the tune of around $4 million, with a particular focus on accommodating the city’s most vulnerable residents.
Sault MP Terry Sheehan made this announcement at city hall Thursday morning, revealing that this money is being split between Batchewana First Nation and the local District Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB).
The lion’s share of this funding ($2.4 million) is being set aside to establish eight new units at Batchewana’s Frontenac Street Townhouse Development.
The remaining funds are earmarked for local DSSAB shelters, with 22 units ($1.3 million) at the Community Resource Centre and eight units at the Steelton Centre ($266,637).
Sheehan mentioned that all three projects are being bankrolled through the Rapid Housing Initiative, a part of the federal government’s National Housing Strategy that aims to quickly create affordable housing for people who need it the most.
“These three projects will support the housing needs of the most vulnerable of the community, especially women and children fleeing domestic violence,” Sheehan said, highlighting the Steelton Centre’s services specifically.
“We’ve seen the tragic outcomes of domestic violence in our community for too long. It is vital that we ensure that women who make the brave choice to leave dangerous situations have a safe place for them and their children to go.”
DSSAB board chair Stephanie Hopkin was also on hand for Thursday’s housing announcement at city hall, telling the press afterwards that these 30 new DSSAB units are already in use.
At the Steelton Centre (also known as Pauline’s Place), Hopkin said the $266,637 was used to redevelop eight pre-existing units to make them more accessible to families.
“For Pauline’s Place, we understood that there was a high need for mothers and their children to access safe units that were designed for families,” she said.
“And we knew we had to do some work refitting the current shelter to meet those needs, just from a physical layout standpoint … so that was a big need that got addressed through this funding.”
Meanwhile, the new 22 transitional units for the men’s shelter at the Community Resource Centre will be used to take pressure off of DSSAB’s other housing operations for vulnerable people.
While Hopkin admits that much more needs to be done to accommodate the Sault’s homeless and housing insecure populace, she said this recent round of government funding will provide a firmer foundation that can hopefully push these people towards more secure housing accommodations in the future.
“These transition units, with wraparound supports, are fundamental in preparing folks for permanent housing,” Hopkin said. “So we’re so happy to see the support.”
Sheehan pointed out on Thursday that the federal government has also provided funding for several projects in the Sault to help resupply the city’s housing stock.
These projects include new 108-unit apartment buildings situated at the old Tara Hall location on Pim Street and the new Royal Canadian Legion Branch 25 headquarters on Great Northern Road, with both locations offering affordable housing options.
“I’m really proud of what we’re doing in Sault Ste. Marie,” Sheehan said. “In my opinion, we’re leading in Canada on collaboratively working together and we’re seeing those results.”
The Sault’s major push to resupply its housing stock recently entitled it to $600,000 in special funding from the provincial government, with the city nearly doubling its expected construction starts in 2023.
Mayor Matthew Shoemaker said these housing projects are critical if they want to keep pace with the Sault’s recent population growth, since the city crossed the 78,000 mark last year (with an additional 8,400 people expected by 2036).
“This growth brings vibrancy, diversity and economic opportunity to our community,” Shoemaker said during Thursday’s announcement.
“However, it also has its challenges that come with it, and one of (those challenges) is ensuring that every member of our community has access to safe, affordable and suitable housing.”
kdarbyson@postmedia.com
