First 18 Métis Nation homes to be ready this fall in Prince Albert

“I’m a product of not having a home. I got to own my own home not very long ago and it’s a very good feeling to be able to have projects like this for people in Prince Albert. It’ll be a great day for them.”

Mayor Bill Powalinsky said that working together has benefited both the City of Prince Albert and the Métis Nation, especially with a shortage of 1,400 units in the city.

“One of the biggest gaps in the market right now is that transition from, say, supported housing and subsidized to affordable and I think this really is going to make a big, big impact on that particular area. So, I just can’t say enough for the development,” he said.

The study presented to council last year showed a current shortage of 1,400 units but another 1,000 units will be added to that over the next decade.

That means the city needs to pivot on its current housing and try approaches that have worked elsewhere.

“When you start to take a look at where the housing is headed nationwide, you’re starting to look at things like lot sizes, you’re looking at urban density, you’re looking at the environmental impact and how you can, you know, keep the green space requirements,” he said. “And you might have to be a little bit flexible in how you do that,” Powalinsky said.

To accommodate the MN–S proposal, the city had to allow six metre-wide lots and waive some of the parking requirements.

A depiction of what the townhouses could look like. (Image Credit: screenshot/City of PA agenda)

Some ground work still needs to be done in the MN –S land before the homes can be moved on.

They are being built in Saskatoon by 3Twenty Modular and will be placed on foundations with no basement. Of the 18 units, four will be two bedrooms and barrier-free. The remaining units will be three bedrooms.

The units will be in groups of four, as required by the city’s zoning rules for this subdivision.

Director of Housing and Homelessness for MN–S , Mathieu Gaudet, said that his office is working on the remainder of the subdivision plan for the land they own.

“We’re working right now on our full subdivision concept plan. We’re working with Wallace Insights who the city also has worked with their needs assessment to do the full concept plan with different phases. Right now we have this building, we have our 18 houses and we have an Elder’s Lodge coming in the near future but after that, we’re still kind of developing that,” Gaudet said.

The current units are about 45 per cent completed and will likely be ready before the land is prepared.

“So we need to get the road completed, we need to get the utilities done and all that, permits, building permits and all that kind of stuff before they can get moved,” Gaudet said.

Once the units are moved on site, it will take several more months to complete the remaining work. They hope to be done before Christmas.

The units will be sold a market rate and cost just over $300,000 but because they are being mortgaged by the MN–S at the outset, the buyers will save a lot of money in interest.

“Eventually we hope that they can secure a conventional mortgage. Most of the equity will go towards owning the house,” Gaudet said.

Once the details have been worked out, an application process will be created and families can start applying this summer. That will happen at the Ma Faamii building, which will be operational by then.

by Susan McNeil

First 18 Métis Nation homes to be ready this fall in Prince Albert

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