Feds provide money for Sault housing projects

Three housing projects in the Sault Ste. Marie area received funding from the federal government Thursday.

Included are the construction of units on Batchewana First Nation and the repurposing of space within the city for dozens of new units.

“The federal government has invested over $4 million through the Rapid Housing Initiative … to build 38 new homes in our community,” said Sault MP Terry Sheehan.

The funds cover transitional housing for men, emergency housing for women, and address a housing shortage in Batchewana First Nation.

“I would say the most critical need is what we've announced today for people who are the most in the most precarious housing situations,” said Sault Mayor Matthew Shoemaker.

“We need even more of this … every development you get helps everybody along the spectrum.”

The Trudeau government is spending $2.4 million for eight new homes at the Frontenac Street townhouse development.

Another $1.3 million is for the Sacred Heart Project, a 22-home development run by the Sault Housing Corp. out of the community resource centre.

“Those 22 transitional units actually alleviated and helped to move folks out of the temporary shelter that was at the Verdi,” said Stephanie Hopkin of the Sault Ste. Marie District Social Services Board.

“So this was really great news for the community overall because it gave us a more permanent structure for us to have bridge units for those experiencing homelessness.”

More than $260,000 will retrofit eight units at Pauline’s Place to better house women and families fleeing abuse.

“One of the most important things that we can do to combat intimate partner violence is making sure that we provide supports to the women and children that take the brave step to flee those very violent situations and to have a place, you know, to call home,” Sheehan said.

Sheehan said the three initiatives and the more than 200 units added in the Pim Street and Legion construction projects place Sault Ste. Marie among the cities with the highest rates of housing investments per capita in the country.

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