Housing program building more than homes for band

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Homes aren't the only things to have been built under a housing program in Quebec. The Montagnais du Lac-Saint-Jean Band in Mashteuiatsh, Quebec, has also experienced a growth of qualified construction workers and the creation of spin-off businesses to support the building boom.

The band's housing program which encourages self-sufficiency, and fuels the drive to self-government, has won a 1994 Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation in the Financing and Tenure category.

The Montagnais du Lac-Saint-Jean band council has achieved its outstanding success through a program which enables middle-income families to purchase or build the kind of home they want. First established 14 years ago, the program has had a positive impact on housing in Mashteuiatsh. Today almost 50 per cent of the houses in the community are privately owned. As one Aboriginal expert on the award selection panel put it "This is a win-win situation."

Middle income families win because they can own homes of their own choosing. And the community as a whole wins because this housing programs lessens people's dependency on the band council. The program has also had other productive off-shoots. the demand for privately owned homes has led to the development of a qualified construction force on the reserve, as well as the creation and expansion of specialized businesses. Overall, the housing program has proved to be a strong development engine for the community.

The program is geared to middle-income families who, with a little financial support, would be able to obtain a loan from a financial institution. The band council uses a housing subsidy from the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development to provide a direct grant of $10,000 and an interest-free loan.

The $12,000 loan is for a 20-year term, repayable at $50 a month. This financial backing makes the family eligible for a loan from a financial institution, usually the local caisse populaire, to cover the balance of the cost of their housing project. Using this money, the family can build a brand-new home, or buy and renovate an existing one.

Conditions for eligibility under the program include registered membership in the band, and at least 18 months permanent residence on the reserve. The band council selects applications on the basis of the individual family situation and current housing conditions. Encouraging individual pride in home ownership and stimulating the local economy, this housing program plays a vital role in the band's progress to self-sufficiency.