Construction wraps up on new Regina supportive housing facility

With the snips of five sets of scissors Thursday, Regina’s first Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) project took another step toward completion.

The Silver Sage Housing Corporation hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the misatimosimôwin mîhkowâp — the Horse Dance Lodge — to mark the end of construction of the building on Broad Street.

Silver Sage Housing Corp. & Regina Treaty / Status Indian Services (RT/SIS) celebrated the opening of Horse Dance Lodge / misatimosimôwin mîhkowâp in #yqr today, a transitional place for people in immediate need of housing. We're so proud to be the design-builder on this project. pic.twitter.com/kELu662BnD

— Big Block Construction (@BigBlockConst) September 14, 2023

According to a release, the new 29-unit permanent supportive housing facility is “for individuals and families experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity in Regina.”

Those issues have been front of mind in the city for much of 2023, including the creation of an encampment on the lawn of City Hall before it was dismantled six weeks later. As well, city council has discussed the idea of proclaiming a “houselessness emergency” in Regina.

Shovels went into the ground for the new building in September of 2022, with Big Block Construction overseeing the design and building of the development.

The construction got help from the City of Regina, Saskatchewan Housing Corporation and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation through the RHI.

“Silver Sage is grateful to have been selected by the City of Regina to lead the development,” Natoshia Bastien, Silver Sage’s president and CEO, said in the release. “We are pleased with the results and excited to turn the building over to RT/SIS (Regina Treaty/Status Indian Services) who will be supporting tenants in the facility.”

“Horse Dance Lodge is an outstanding story of how community collaboration, advanced integration, and fierce tenacity came together to build a complex rapid housing project in under 12 months,” Big Block CEO Alex Miller added in the release. “Thanks to our dedicated team and incredible partners, the building will see its first residents move in as scheduled.”

According to the release, the building’s design meets a new standard for a net-zero-ready multi-unit residential building, the first time that had happened in Canada.

Silver Sage and RT/SIS are providing programming and wraparound supports for the building’s residents.

“RT/SIS is truly thankful for all the project partners who have made Horse Dance Lodge a reality. It is incredible what we have accomplished together,” Tanya Ritchotte, a spokesperson for that organization, said in the release.

“RT/SIS is looking forward to continuing this good work as we open this supportive living complex to those in need, and provide our integrated support services to individuals, as they work towards independent, sustainable living.”

The Horse Dance Lodge project received $7.7 million in funding from the RHI, which is part of the federal government’s National Housing Strategy.

As well, the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation put up $783,000 through the Saskatchewan Co-Investment Program, which is designed to support the construction of new affordable rental housing in the province.

The City of Regina also provided $575,000 in funding through the Permanent Supportive Housing Grant and $615,000 through the Housing Incentive Program.

“Thank you to all who have supported Silver Sage’s first partnership with the City of Regina,” Bastien said in the release. “We hope to work in collaboration again to provide more housing options to Reginans in the future.”