A small town in eastern Saskatchewan is planning to grow its population with an “outside the box” program offering $30,000 grants to prospective homeowners who choose to build in the community.
Moosomin announced its housing incentive program on July 31, and it’s already attracting a lot of attention, says Mayor Larry Tomlinson.
“We’re well on the way to having some new housing available,” he told The Epoch Times, noting that two apartment buildings are already underway and a six-plex and at least one home will be started in the coming weeks.
“We were actually growing fairly fast even before the program started.”
Under the town’s housing incentive, single family homes, apartments, condos, and other types of new home builds are eligible for funding, according program documentation. The town will dole out $30,000 for every new home built as well as an extra $8,000 per door for multi-home units.
The program applies to any residential building permit granted since Aug. 21, 2023, the document says. Cheques will be handed out to qualifying builders once a MuniCode occupancy permit for the dwelling is issued.
The Moosomin initiative is being funded through the federal government’s Housing Accelerator Fund. The federal fund is an application-based program introduced in the 2022 federal budget with an initial funding allocation of $4 billion until 2026–27. Budget 2024 included an additional $400 million in funding until 2027–28.
The funding the town received will permit the issue of roughly 43 cheques over four years, the mayor said.
“But the way it’s going, I don’t think the money is going to last that long,” Tomlinson said. “I think it’s going to be capped within a year or two, the way it’s been going.”
While the money originally came from Ottawa, the idea for the local program was dreamed up by the town council as a way to grow its population and meet the town’s growing demand for housing.
“We came up with this on our own, kind of thinking outside of the box,” Tomlinson said. “The funding was discussed quite a few times at council, and I think we had two special meetings over it, and this is what we came up with in the end.”
Long-Term Expansion Goals
The new incentive program is part of an overall long-term expansion plan, the mayor said. He said he envisions the town having to buy more land to expand “somewhere down the road,” but for now, there are enough lots in town to meet its current needs.Moosomin, which has a population of 3,300, has been growing in recent years, attracting both seniors and young families, the mayor said, noting that the community boasts a new hospital with 14 doctors.
The town plans to be ready for the coming influx its new incentive program creates, he said, adding that it has already upgraded its wastewater lagoon and is currently building a $13 million water treatment plant that can supply about 5,000 people.
Tomlinson, who has been the mayor for 11 years, has lived in Moosomin since 1965. Over the past 59 years, he said he has seen a lot of change including new employment opportunities from a nearby mine and two manufacturing plants.
The town, located 224 kilometres east of Regina near the Manitoba border, also boasts a lighted ball field and a myriad of sports and recreational programming.
“It’s almost like a city recreation program in a small town,” Tomlinson said. “There’s lots to do in town. It’s a very vibrant little town and very friendly.”
