Affordable housing in Fort McKay was the subject of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed Thursday by Wood Buffalo Housing and the Fort McKay Métis Community.

“This is an exciting collaboration for us and we look forward to working with the Fort McKay Métis Community, to address housing concerns in Fort McKay,” said Henry Hunter, President and CEO of Wood Buffalo Housing. “Sustainable housing in particular is a major concern for both of our organizations, and together our voice will be stronger when advocating for funding and other supports to ensure the people in our region have access to safe and affordable housing.”

“We have a shortage of housing in Fort McKay and some obvious gaps in program and service delivery,” said Ron Quintal, President of the Fort McKay Métis Community. “By signing this MOU we are formalizing our relationship with Wood Buffalo Housing and moving closer to our goal of creating a strong organization that is able to self-govern, set policy for membership, land, and housing.”

The MOU is the first step toward creating a collaborative framework for addressing common issues, which include:

• Ensuring Fort McKay residents have access to safe and quality affordable housing by addressing existing and projected future unmet needs;
• Maximizing the effectiveness of affordable housing investment in Fort McKay, including an analysis of program and service gaps between the hamlet, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, and the Province of Alberta;
• Conducting a review of best practices for affordable housing as they apply to Fort McKay;
• Working together on ongoing issues related to affordable housing, including prioritizing the development of new affordable housing opportunities in Fort McKay.

Among the next steps for the groups is to create an Affordable Housing Action Plan which will outline short-term, medium-term, and long-term actions required to address affordable housing in Fort McKay. This is the third MOU Wood Buffalo Housing has signed with its local Métis communities in the past year.

About Wood Buffalo Housing

Founded in 2001, Wood Buffalo Housing is the lead non-profit housing agency in our region. We collaborate with our many stakeholders, including tenants, community groups, non-profits, industry and government to pursue safe and sustainable housing solutions for all of the people of our community. Since 2001, we’ve helped more than 7,000 people – those new to our community and those making a new start – find the right apartment, the right townhouse, and the right way to achieve home ownership.

About The Fort McKay Métis Community

Fort McKay Métis are members of the Fort McKay community which is located 60 kilometers north of Fort McMurray. The growing and diverse membership is represented by Fort McKay Métis Community, a not-for-profit society incorporated under the Alberta Societies Act. Located in the heart of the oilsands, the community has faced unprecedented change over the last 30 years. This change has brought both opportunities and challenges; but, by following the Elder’s traditional teachings and committing to grassroots development, the community is facing their
challenges head on while taking advantage of the opportunities presented to them.

Media contact info

To arrange for a media interview, please contact:

Wood Buffalo Housing

Christina MacKay
Manager, Marketing and Communications
Phone: 780-799-4034
E-mail: christina@wbhadc.ca

Fort McKay Metis Community Office

Phone: 780-828-4401
Email: info@FortMcKayMetis.com
Ron Quintal, President
Phone: 780-799-2949
Email: president@fortmckaymetis.com