News Releases
New Homes For Aboriginal Families Officially Open In Edmonton’s Montrose Neighbourhood
[October 12, 2007]
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It’s another good news story from a city partnership that continues to thrive and deliver long-lasting benefits to Edmonton’s Aboriginal community. A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place today to mark the official opening of Nellie Nome Manor, a six-unit, six-bedroom long-term supportive housing project to accommodate large Aboriginal families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless
The project located at 59 Street and 118 Avenue in the neighbourhood of Montrose on Edmonton’s east side is a
community partnership between the UMISK Affordable Housing Society, the Edmonton Housing Trust Fund, The
Family Shelter Network, the Bissell Centre and Concept Homes. The facility is named after Aboriginal Elder Nellie Nome.
The Trust Fund contributed $1.5 million to the development of the project with funding provided in partnership through the
Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta and the City of Edmonton.
“Canada’s New Government is delivering on our commitment to help Aboriginal Canadians who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless,” said Peter Goldring, Member of Parliament for Edmonton East, on behalf of the Honourable Monte
Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development. “Nellie Nome Manor will help ensure that vulnerable
Aboriginal families in Edmonton can access the safe housing and support they need to become more independent and
enjoy a better quality of life”
“We have developed a successful and rewarding partnership with UMISK that began in 2001 – this is our third
investment in the community together.” said Trust Fund Chair, Martin Garber-Conrad. “This new facility will go a long
way towards providing much-needed safe, affordable housing for families and children, with the emphasis on children,
to ensure they remain housed with the necessary support services to live independently,” added Garber-Conrad.
Nellie Nome was an Aboriginal woman born in Lac St. Anne. She lived in the Kinuso/Swan River area with her husband.
Together they raised seven children, numerous grandchildren, nieces, nephews and had a large extended family. There
was always a pot of soup on the stove and bannock to eat, even though there was often no heat in the house. Nellie’s
home was open to people who had no place to stay. She regularly took in entire families and housed them in one of her
bedrooms, and she had three couches in her living room for people to sleep on. Nellie and her husband would hide children under the beds in their home when the people from the Mission would come to take them away. Nellie always said, “You can’t throw children away,” and made sure they were always looked after.
The Tenant Counsellor for UMISK, the Family Shelter Network and the Bissell Centre staff will provide the necessary
support services for all tenants to ensure families retain their residency and improve their quality of life. UMISK maintains a policy of zero tolerance for alcohol and drugs consumed or used on their facilities.
The housing project valued at $1.8 million will open its doors to residents in early November. Rents will be set at $700 per month, per townhouse.
For Further information:
Cec Jones, Executive Director, Umisk
(780) 452-6651
Jim Molnar, Communications, EHTF
(780) 944-5697 or cell (780) 405-0735
Susan McGee, Acting Executive Director, EHTF
(780) 496-2632
Adria Patzer, Service Canada
Communications Consultant,
(780) 495-5606
UMISK AFFORDABLE HOUSING SOCIETY BACKGROUNDER
History and Services
Umisk Affordable Housing Society was established to address the problems of inadequate housing for Aboriginal families residing in the City of Edmonton. We formed a partnership with the Family Shelter Network at Boyle Street Co-op Community Centre and the Bissell Centre. The Family Shelter Network is a collaborative effort of both agencies to assist
families affected by the critical shortage of safe, affordable and appropriate housing. The family workers at the Family Shelter Network have placed all of the tenants in our housing units. The Family Shelter Network does the intakes and assessments of all new applicants, and housing is provided to the families based on the greatest need. All applicants must prepare an Action Plan and attend a landlord/tenant workshop prior to obtaining housing. The family workers work with each family and our tenant counsellor for a term of not less than one year. At the end of the one year term, the tenants are assessed. If they do not require full supports, they work with our tenant counsellor.
Projects:
- We purchased a 20-unit apartment building June 15, 2001 to be used for transitional housing for women escaping violence, pregnant teens, seniors and homeless Aboriginal families.
- We purchased eight, half-duplexes on Dec. 1, 2001, which contained a total of 11 suites to provide long-term supportive housing for homeless families.
- We purchased a four-plex unit and a side-by-side duplex May 31, 2002. The Family Shelter Network had families ready to move in as soon as the units were available.
- We built a 10-unit townhouse complex for homeless families. The possession date was Apr.15, 2003. The complex houses families with a total of 44 children.
- We finished construction on a 16-unit stacked townhouse complex on July 28, 2006 to house large Aboriginal families. Each family has a minimum of three children for a total of 48 children in this project.
- We are currently in the process of opening a six-unit, six-bedroom townhouse facility to houselarge families with five or more children. The complex will be ready for occupancy in Nov. 2007. The complex will house a minimum of 25 children.
Umisk Affordable Housing and the Family Shelter Network have housed 296 families with 752 children since we formed our partnership in Oct. 2001. Sixty per cent of the families had Child Welfare involvement. Thirty-five per cent of these children were returned to their families because of stable housing.
EDMONTON HOUSING TRUST FUND BACKGROUNDER
The Edmonton Housing Trust Fund (EHTF) works in partnership with the three orders of government and the community. One of the main functions of the Edmonton Housing Trust Fund is to serve as the funding vehicle for affordable housing and support services in Edmonton by leveraging public with not-for-profi t and private sector funding so that it can be used to meet the highest priority needs in Edmonton as identifi ed in the community plan. The EHTF has funding agreements with the Government of Canada, the Province of Alberta and the City of Edmonton under various programs to support this mandate.
For more information on the Edmonton Housing Trust Fund, visit their web site at: www.ehtf.ca
For more information, please contact:
Jim Molnar, Communications Offi cer
Edmonton Housing Trust Fund
(780) 944-5697
The Edmonton Joint Planning Committee on Housing (EJPCOH) The Edmonton Joint Planning Committee on Housing is a community-based non-profi t entity that brings together representatives from three orders of government and a wide range of public and private sector stakeholders and community representatives.
Through the Edmonton Community Plan, EJPCOH coordinates community initiatives to address the priority low-income, special and transitional housing needs of Edmonton. In addition, EJPCOH works to prevent the at-risk groups from becoming homeless. EJPCOH fosters a collaborative environment between the many partners in our community who deliver and fund housing and support services.
For more information on the Edmonton Joint Planning Committee on Housing, visit their web site at: www.moresafehomes.net
For more information, please contact:
Susan McGee, Executive Director
Edmonton Joint Planning Committee on Housing
(780) 496-6035
Government of Canada
Funding for this project has been provided through the Government of Canada’s National Homelessness Initiative (NHI) under the Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative (SCPI). From April 1999 to March 2007, NHI has committed $44.8 million to the Edmonton Housing Trust Fund for projects aimed at helping the homeless and those at risk of homelessness in the Edmonton area.
The Government of Canada recently announced a new Homelessness Partnering Strategy with $270 million dedicated to supporting effective community efforts in alleviating and preventing homelessness across Canada the next two years.
For more information on the Homelessness Partnering Strategy, visit their website at: www.homelessness.gc.ca
For more information, please contact:
Adria Patzer, Service Canada
Communications Consultant
(780) 495-5606
Government of Alberta
Through the provincial Homelessness Initiative, Alberta Municipal Affairs and Housing allocates funds on a year-to-year basis to community-based organizations in each of the seven major urban centres (i.e., Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer, Grande Prairie, and Fort McMurray), in accordance with approved community plans and based upon the program criteria. The province has provided $1 million per year in funding since the inception of the Edmonton Housing Trust Fund in 1999.
For more information on the Government of Alberta’s Homelessness Initiative, visit the Alberta Municipal Affairs and Housing web site at: www.municipalaffairs.gov.ab.ca
For more information, please contact:
Robert Storrier, Communications
Alberta Municipal Affairs and Housing
(780) 415-9952
City of Edmonton
The City of Edmonton, a founding member of the Edmonton Housing Trust Fund, appoints one of the seven trustees and provides approximately $1.2 million in funding to the Trust Fund annually.
For information on Edmonton’s housing and homelessness initiatives, contact Housing Services at (780) 496-6029.
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