The funding was announced in Melfort on Thursday as dignitaries gathered outside the local Co-op (Ben Tompkins/northeastNOW)

By Ben Tompkins

Canadian Housing Infrastructure Fund

More than $300-million in funding announced for critical housing infrastructure

Aug 21, 2025 | 5:30 PM

Melfort was the scene of a major fundraising announcement Thursday, as the provincial and federal governments allocated more than $300-million towards critical housing infrastructure in Saskatchewan.

The Canadian Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF) is now accepting applications.

The funds will give money to communities to build or improve infrastructure related to drinking water, wastewater, stormwater and solid waste.

“We want to be able to provide those supports and essential things, so new housing starts continue. It is absolutely critical that if we want to continue to grow the job market and manufacturing that individuals and families are able to move here and have a place to live. The more people that we can bring here with the drive and mentality to grow our communities, the better,” explained Saskatchewan Government Relations Minister Eric Schmalz.

“If we can do that by supporting these communities through these types of infrastructure programming, then we will continue to do so. We want to keep advocating for more flexible programs going forward, and we will be lobbying the federal government to ensure that we are able to provide these opportunities for communities to capitalize on programming and funding that’s available.”

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Under CHIF, the federal government will provide $187.9 million, and the provincial government will provide approximately $155 million to address housing-enabling infrastructure priorities.

Applications will be due by November 28, with construction to begin as soon as municipalities are able.

“When the communities have their projects fully costed and engineered, then they can start building. Once those projects are underway, funding will start to flow through the Ministry of Government Relations and be provided to those communities to take care of the portion covered by that fund,” Schmalz added.

“Melfort is another great example of a growing community in this province where industry is continuously popping up. My former career was with the RCMP, and I policed this area and remember where the Co-op is now was just an empty field. I can see that there’s tremendous growth happening in this community. It is a prime example of the benefits of a strong and growing economy, so we felt this would be a good place to set this announcement.”

The Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) was also in attendance at Thursday’s announcement.

According to their CEO, Jean-Marc Nadeau, they also do a lot of advocacy with the different government levels, and acknowledge that housing is near the top of the list of problems facing the province.

“We’ve got a lot of folks that would love to be able to move outside of Regina and Saskatoon, as smaller communities like Melfort are so welcoming, but the problem is that there’s no housing support,” he told northeastNOW. “This announcement is very big, especially for a city the size of Melfort, as it’s going to help them continue to grow as an economic hub for the region.”

Eligible CHIF applicants include municipal governments, public sector bodies, incorporated not-for-profit organizations, Indigenous groups and private sector entities working in partnership with eligible public or Indigenous applicants.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On X @BenTompkins_8