A 44-unit, two-building apartment complex is underway for Chippewas of Rama First Nation, and it’s a project Chief Ted Williams said will put a “big dent” in housing needs for First Nation members.
The two-storey buildings will include 36 single units and eight two-bedroom units with four fully accessible units included in the project, as well. Units will be rented primarily on a rent-geared-to-income basis, and the project is anticipated to be completed next summer, Williams said.
“It's something that's been in the works for a number of years,” Williams told OrilliaMatters. “The primary issue that we’ve been dealing with, as long as I’ve been in politics over 42 years, is housing.”
Units for the modular apartment complex, located on Benson Road near Casino Rama, are currently being constructed off site and will be hauled to the property and fully assembled on site at a later date.
“People will be in the units, I’m hoping, by late summer (next) year, and that’s going to take care of a big part of the housing backlog that we’ve had for years,” Williams said. “It’s been very difficult for First Nation members to build houses in the community, especially now with the cost of construction.”
He said the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Rapid Housing Initiative is funding roughly 50 per cent of the $18-million project, with the rest funded by the First Nation. The project was initiated by the previous term of council.
“We were talking to the people from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation … and they offered us an opportunity to build a multi-unit apartment complex,” he said. “We, the previous council, agreed that we would take this on.”
Over his years in politics, Williams said housing has been a recurring topic of discussion in Rama, and that it’s routinely the No. 1 issue brought forward through its community visioning exercises, where residents weigh in on priorities for the next five to 10 years.
“As much as it has been a challenge to provide housing, it’s important for us as leadership to properly manage the community: the community finances, the relationships that we have with our financial institutions, the federal and provincial governments, which has put us in a position where we can seize on opportunities when they present themselves,” Williams said.
“We’re actually really looking forward to the completion of the project. It’s another step towards meeting the needs of the community. Previous councils, I’d like to say miigwech to them, thank you, and it’s up to the newly elected council from three months ago to finish the job.”
