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Métis join program to fix northern housing

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 12/12/2009 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

IN a first for Western Canada, the Manitoba government has partnered with the Manitoba Métis Federation to retrofit 645 public housing units in rural, northern and remote communities.

The province will spend $4.3 million on the project, which is expected to create 51 full-time jobs.

David Chartrand, president of the MMF, said the upgrades will add another 20 to 30 years to the lifespan of the houses, which are located in such communities as Poplar River, Camperville, Wabowden and Duck Bay.

The MMF manages 1,400 houses on behalf of the province in northern and rural areas, including the 645 that will be upgraded.

"I was very, very proud of our province" in responding to a federal challenge to contribute to the infrastructure project, Chartrand said in an announcement at the legislature on Friday.

He said Métis organizations in other provinces are envious. "We have other Métis governments that manage houses and they didn't get nothing (from their provinces)," he said.

Spending money to upgrade the houses will save a lot of money in the long run, Chartrand said. "If the money is not there and these houses... start deteriorating, it's going to cost a hell of a lot of money to rebuild new."

Premier Greg Selinger said the housing money is a good investment, especially during a recession.

The $4.3 million will go to the Community Housing Managers of Manitoba, a subsidiary of the MMF.

The investment is part of a $327 million, two-year federal-provincial housing program.

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 12, 2009 A4

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