By Janet Kilgannon
For Moose Jaw Express

“Today, the community of Moose Jaw is celebrating the official opening of Maple View Condominiums, an affordable housing project consisting of 12 apartment-style units for moderate-income, entrylevel homebuyers,” said Wanda Hunchak of Westcap Mgt.

Located at 418-422 Home Street West, this condominium unit features 12 two-bedroom apartment-style units, ranging from 1,100-1,300 square feet. It has been built with the expert partnership of Westcap, the Government of Saskatchewan, the City of Moose Jaw, Schultz Electric and Conexus Credit Union.

“Head $tart was launched in the province in 2011, to address the need for affordable housing. Once the provincial economy began to grow significantly, house prices increased, too. This program fills the gap for entry-level buyers,” said Hunchak.

“In fact, we have almost doubled the expected number of homes we expected to be involved with. We are now at 1,521 units, when we had only planned for 1,000. An additional 354 units have been approved for financing but are not yet under construction.”

MLA Greg Lawrence congratulated the group for assisting in achieving home ownership goals for 12 Moose Jaw individuals and families. “We have met the challenges of providing safe, affordable quality homes in our current economy.” Downpayment assistance is available through both the provincial and city governments, at $5,000 from each.

Mayor Deb Higgins felt that the partnership has been excellent. “This provides a huge step forward for young families for whom the challenge of raising a down payment has been the greatest single barrier, making home ownership previously out of reach. When people can buy a home, they will put down roots, build their careers, raise their families and be active members of our community,” she said.

There is currently $200 million in financing available through the program. Municipalities may apply for the loans on behalf of builders and developers. Moose Jaw City Council “showed foresight and progressive thinking by stepping up to the plate and getting involved early.”

There is currently $200 million in financing available through the program. Municipalities may apply for the loans on behalf of builders and developers. Moose Jaw City Council “showed foresight and progressive thinking by stepping up to the plate and getting involved early.”

Schultz Electric oversaw the building of the units, and made sure the quality was high. Aesthetic touches can be seen throughout. Schultz believes Moose Jaw is a growing area, and good things are to come.

Westcap knew that once they had linked with good builders, they also would need a partner for making the financing happen. Conexus was there to provide the expertise. Glen Stephenson, of the High St. branch, commented that the project fits their core values of supporting the community. “We have the specialists to get people into their own homes, helping to build their dreams and their futures.”

There is currently $10 million that can be tapped in the Head $tart Equity Building program. The target price for homes constructed through Head $tart on a Home is at, or below, the MLS average price in each community. The homes may include condominiums, multi-unit dwellings, single-family dwellings, or modular homes.

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