Aboriginal Housing Society receives federal funding for affordable housing project

The Aboriginal Housing Society recently received $34,997,000 successful backing from nan national authorities for its Buffalo Lodge task successful Lethbridge, Alta., which will supply affordable housing for Indigenous people.

According to Melissa Many Fingers, vice chair and treasurer for nan Aboriginal Housing Society, members of nan Indigenous organization often brushwood challenges erstwhile they must move disconnected their reserve for work, schooling, aliases immoderate life whitethorn require of them.

“We’re deed pinch racism and stereotyping,” said Many Fingers. “We’re besides learning successful an municipality setting, and that successful itself is difficult to overcome.”

Known arsenic Iinii?toyis successful Blackfoot, Buffalo Lodge intends to reside these obstacles by providing a “community wrong a community,” mirroring nan aforesaid feelings of comfortableness and information its residents had astatine location connected nan reserve. Many Fingers says nan lodging will besides meet nan demands of a demographic that’s “being missed” owed to nan lodging situation crossed nan country.

“It’s that demographic is trying to attain a amended life,” said Many Fingers. “They don’t suffice for low-income (support), but they’re moving difficult conscionable to salary rent.”

Though it was a agelong and difficult travel to get financial support, Many Fingers says contributions from nan City of Lethbridge and National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Incorporated (NICHI), on pinch nan national government’s investment, person made nan now fully-funded task possible.

Offering 132 units, from 1 to 3 bedrooms, that will location students, bachelors, families and elders, Iinii?toyis will unfastened its doors to connected Sept. 1.