The Saskatchewan Aboriginal Homelessness Advisory Board is working to make communities aware of federal funding for housing projects which will soon be available.
The money is available through Services Canada under the Housing First Approach, and applications will be accepted starting in April.
Advisory Board member Doreen Docken has been meeting with groups in the north to get input on where the need is the greatest.
She says any community in Saskatchewan can apply and groups should be well-organized when considering a project.
“There is designated communities, so those are the bigger cities, Prince Albert, Regina and Saskatoon, they have funding available for rural and remote, so in the north we would fit into that funding stream, and then there is the Aboriginal homelessness funding stream”.
Docken says there are some unique housing needs in Aboriginal communities.
“We find ourselves in situations where a lot of our homeless are younger Aboriginal men, a lot of them with some mental health disorders, and there is no place right now, really in the province for that group of people.”
She adds that long term care for elders is another issue which needs attention in the north.
The focus of the Housing First Approach is on permanent housing and more information is available at the Employment and Social Development Canada website.