On November 21, 2008, Habitat for Humanity Winnipeg (HFHW), the Winnipeg Metis Association (WMA) and the Province of Manitoba jointly announced a unique and exciting partnership to construct 10 new energy efficient homes for low-income working Winnipeg Metis families. The 10 new homes will cost $1.5 million to construct and the Province of Manitoba will be contributing $1 million in funding towards the program. The remaining $500,000 will be raised through various fundraising efforts. Five of the new Habitat homes will be built in 2009 with the remaining five in 2010.

“According to Statistics Canada’s 2006 Census, Manitoba’s population includes the largest number of Metis people per capita in Canada and the majority of them live in southern Manitoba including Winnipeg, “says Sandy Hopkins, CEO of HFHW. “Within Winnipeg’s Metis community, there is unfortunately an urgent need for access to affordable housing. Through the Habitat homeownership model, these first 10 families will have a wonderful opportunity to purchase a home and begin building equity for the future. We feel that affordable homeownership is the solution to breaking the cycle of poverty that impacts so many low-income working families.”

“Our people and community have strong family values and are eager to improve the lives of their children and grandchildren. These 10 Habitat homes will be a great start to helping Métis families get ahead,” said Ron Chartrand, Vice-President, Winnipeg Region, Manitoba Métis Federation.

Metis Population Statistics
(obtained from the Statistics Canada 2006 Census)

• The Metis were the fastest growing Aboriginal (Metis, First Nations and Inuit) group in Canada, increasing by 91% since 1996 to reach 389,785 on 2006. This was more than 11 times the rate of increase for the non-Aboriginal
  population (8%).
• In 2006 there was a 58% increase in people who reported themselves as Metis in Manitoba. Slightly more than one third of Manitoba's Aboriginal people are Metis.
• • Manitoba's population includes the largest number of Metis people per capita in Canada and the majority of them live in southern Manitoba, including Winnipeg.
• The Census enumerated 40,980 Metis living in Winnipeg in 2006, the largest Metis population of all census metropolitan areas. They accounted for 6% of Winnipeg's population.
• Nearly one in four Aboriginals lived in a home requiring major repairs in 2006, unchanged from 1996.Overall, Aboriginal people were almost four times as likely as non-Aboriginal people to live in a crowded dwelling. They were three times as likely to live in a home in need of major repairs.

This partnership offers donors an incredible opportunity to lead the way in Canada by building homes for low-income working Metis families to purchase with no down payment, and an interest-free mortgage. Consider helping both Habitat’s partner families and the entire City of Winnipeg.

Click here to find out more about donation options.