It was a huge day for Maranda Belcourt and her daughters, Anyka, Genesis, Aneesa and Aleesa, as the official ceremony to mark completion of their new Habitat For Humanity home was held Monday in the city.
Belcourt is a hard-working single mother who wants the best for her family, to provide them with educational opportunities and a home that they can call their own, noted a HFH release. With traditional homeownership out of her reach, she turned to Habitat for Humanity Yorkton for help.
鈥淭his journey we have taken has been exciting,鈥� she said of the build Monday, adding the opportunity of having a new home for herself and her family in huge.
鈥�... The work that has been put into making our dream come true has been fantastic.鈥�
In a release Belcourt said the HFH program was just the thing she needed to help make owning a home possible.
鈥淲hen I heard that I had be chosen to be a Habitat homeowner, I was overjoyed with thankfulness to God, Jesus, Habitat for Humanity volunteers, sponsors and all who said through the years that I should apply鈥�, she recalled in the release. 鈥淪haking, dancing and sobbing on the phone with the Habitat Yorkton Committee when they gave me the news, I felt I gained an extended family. I am so excited to be a part of the Habitat family.鈥�
This is Habitat for Humanity鈥檚 eighth home in Yorkton.
The home is an approximately 1000 square feet raised bungalow, with four bedrooms and a finished basement.
Construction was made possible by donors and supporters, including The Mosaic Company, RH Electric, and the generous in-kind and financial contributions from the individuals and businesses in the community of Yorkton.
Habitat Yorkton received $65,000 in funding from the Federal and Provincial Governments.
Highways and Infrastructure Minister and Yorkton MLA Greg Ottenbreit on behalf of the province noted his government has invested some $12 million in HFH homes across the province, $450,000 of that on the eight builds in Yorkton.
The dollars are a good investment, said Ottenbreit.
鈥淲e鈥檙e creating a home, not just creating a house,鈥� he said.
The home is also possible due to the generous support from the community in both in-kind and cash donations. These donations have come through individual gifts, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events, including the Annual Colour Fun Run. Habitat Yorkton also has built a unique partnership with the Ministry of Policing and Corrections, where trainees from the Whitespruce Provincial Training Centre played an integral role in the construction of the Belcourt home.
The City of Yorkton also played a role in terms of being involved with the lots the new home and previous seven homes have been built.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great project,鈥� said Mayor Bob Maloney. 鈥�... It鈥檚 a hand up, not just a hand out.鈥� He noted that the Belcourt family were involved in the building of the home, and have a mortgage that they will pay.
鈥�. . . I couldn鈥檛 be more proud of what happened here.鈥�
About Habitat for Humanity: Yorkton Habitat for Humanity Yorkton operates as a Chapter under the umbrella of Habitat for Humanity Regina. Habitat Yorkton has an active volunteer board that has served seven families with safe, decent and affordable housing.
About Habitat for Humanity Regina: Founded in 1993, Habitat for Humanity Regina is a non-profit organization working towards a world where everyone has a safe and decent place to live. Habitat Regina鈥檚 mission is to mobilize volunteers and community partners in building affordable housing and promoting homeownership as a means to breaking the cycle of poverty. Habitat Regina has Chapters in Moose Jaw, Estevan, and Yorkton. With the help of over 1000 volunteers annually, Habitat Regina has served over 100 families with safe, decent and affordable housing. For more information on Habitat for Humanity Regina please visit www.habitatregina.ca
Quick Facts:
鈥⒙犅犅犅犅犅� The Government of Canada, through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), and the Government of Saskatchewan, through SHC, jointly contributed $65,000 to build this home through the National Housing Strategy bilateral agreement.
鈥⒙犅犅犅犅犅� Including this project, our investment to Habitat for Humanity in Yorkton will total $445,000.
鈥⒙犅犅犅犅犅� The Government of Canada is currently rolling out its National Housing Strategy (NHS), an ambitious 10-year, $55 billion plan that will create 125,000 new housing units and lift 530,000 families out of housing need, as well as repair and renew more than 300,000 housing units and reduce chronic homelessness by 50 per cent.
鈥⒙犅犅犅犅犅� The province鈥檚 overall commitment to Habitat for Humanity totals more than $12.4 million since March 2009.聽 This total includes funding of $600,000 from the provincial Summit Action Fund.
鈥⒙犅犅犅犅犅� Habitat鈥檚 innovative delivery model provides opportunities for families to stabilize their housing and to achieve their homeownership goals.聽 Each partner family selected by Habitat contributes 500 partnering hours in building their home or other Habitat homes.聽 To learn more about Habitat for Humanity and their work across Saskatchewan, visit .
