Deputy PM Chrystia Freeland Visits Nomodic Site

Yesterday we were honoured to welcome Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Canada, Chrystia Freeland to the site of our latest 44-suite supportive housing complex for Atira Women’s Resource Society in Surrey, BC. The project, to be called Little’s Too, is being built in cooperation with Turnbull Construction Project Managers Ltd. and is funded under the CMHC’s Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI).

Ms. Freeland and her party, including Harjit Sajjan (Minister of National Development), Randeep Sarai (Member of Parliament for Surrey Centre), and Janice Abbott (CEO of Atira Women’s Resource Society), enjoyed a tour of the facility and held a press conference inside one of the suites to discuss the new building and the critical importance of affordable housing across our country.

Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland

Ms. Freeland discussed the role of the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) in providing housing to people across the country. She also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing safe housing to Canadians through initiatives outlined in the recent 2022 budget announcement, including a new Housing Accelerator Fund and a multi-generational home renovation tax credit.

“We recognize that housing is a huge challenge, maybe the single biggest social and economic challenge that Canada faces today.”

“The heart of this budget is the most ambitious, targeted set of measures to fix that, and to drive the building of more homes for a growing country.”

– Chrystia Freeland, Canadian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Janice Abbott, CEO of Atira Women’s Resource Society

Janice Abbott, CEO of Atira Women’s Resource Society, praised the advantages of modular, commenting on how each room is self-contained.

“One of the best parts about opening housing like this is showing women their unit,” Abbott said. “They often cry; they’ve got their own place with a bathtub and a door that closes.”

“This is an awesome project and we’re grateful to be part of it.”

– Janice Abbott, CEO, Atira Women’s Resource Society

Nomodic had plenty of representation on site, with Kevin Read (CEO), Philipp Gruner (President, Operations), James Broadhead (Business Development Lead) and Ian Bulmer (Project Manager) all in attendance.

We applaud the federal government for bringing much-needed awareness to this important issue, and look forward to helping organizations like Atira, BC Housing, and others address this urgent need for Canadian communities in the future.

Read more about this project and see our other affordable housing experience.

Watch the full press conference.