NEW, AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR OFF-RESERVE ABORIGINALS

VICTORIA – A proposal call to establish new off-reserve Aboriginal housing was issued today by Minister responsible for Housing Rich Coleman and Aboriginal Housing Management Association President Margaret Pfoh.

“A disproportionate number of off-reserve Aboriginal people are homeless,” said Coleman. “Today’s proposal call will lead to safe, secure housing and improve living conditions for Aboriginal people and their families.”

The proposal call is entitled the Aboriginal Housing Initiative (AHI). It invites Aboriginal non-profit societies to help build new, affordable housing off-reserve. The proposal call is being offered in partnership between the province and the Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA).

AHMA, the first and only Aboriginal social housing management agency in Canada, was formed in B.C. in the mid-1990s and represents 14 Aboriginal housing associations across the province. AHMA helped to establish the evaluation criteria for this proposal call, and will continue to be involved in the evaluation process.

“This partnership with the Province presents a great opportunity for us to support as many potential housing projects as possible right now,” said Pfoh. “We desperately need more affordable housing, so we’ll also be looking at identifying future opportunities for our Aboriginal people.”

The AHI will receive $50.9 million in one-time funds to an Off-Reserve Aboriginal Housing Trust designed to help address the short-term housing needs for Aboriginals living off-reserve. The Government of Canada will transfer the money to the Province, which will work with the AHMA to administer the trust.

“Through its financial support, Canada’s New Government is proud to partner with the Province of British Columbia to address immediate housing pressures faced by Aboriginal people living off-reserve,” said the Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development. “This is only one of many ways in which our government is taking action to address the challenges confronted by Aboriginal Canadians so that they can enjoy a better quality of life.”

The AHI is a grant program that will identify projects that may benefit from funding for capital costs. Priority will be given to projects with confirmed partners that have the required operational funding. These projects may target specific provincial Aboriginal needs and priorities, including emergency shelter, transitional and supportive housing; longer term rental housing with support services; larger unit family housing; and other innovative developments such as group housing.

The submission deadline for proposals is April 26, 2007. The Expressions of Interest Call document and related details can be accessed at: www.bchousing.org/programs/proposals/bc_wide

-30-

Media Contact:

Sam Rainboth
Manager, Public Affairs
BC Housing
604 439-4789

Margaret Pfoh
President
Aboriginal Housing Management Association
604 820-3324

For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province's news feeds using RSS, visit the Province's website at www.gov.bc.ca.