October 3, 2022 – (Surrey, BC) – At Métis Nation British Columbia’s (MNBC) 2022 Annual General Meeting (AGM), the first held in-person since the beginning of the COVID pandemic and the first-ever hybrid AGM, MNBC and the Métis Financial Corporation of BC (MFCBC) announced a new first-time home buyers’ program for MNBC Citizens.
The program, the particulars of which will be finalized shortly, will be a 5-year investment of $5,000,000 and be delivered by MFCBC in partnership with MNBC. The program will launch in 2023.
“I have talked to many Citizens that pay more in rent than would cost a mortgage,” says Lissa Dawn Smith, MNBC President. “This program can help our Métis families build equity that can be passed down for generations.”
MNBC’s Board of Directors remains committed to building affordable housing for MNBC Citizens in regions across BC. This work is supported by land purchases in Campbell River, Fort St. John, Hudson’s Hope, Kamloops, Surrey, Saanich, and Terrace.
“We need to find creative ways to support our Métis Citizens so that they can afford home ownership,” says Walter Mineault, MNBC Vice-President and Minister of Housing and Homelessness. “This first-time home buyers’ program is the first step in getting many of our Citizens in homes they can call their own for years to come.”
Since it began operations in 2018, MFCBC has a successful track record of supporting Métis entrepreneurs in BC. MFCBC is proud to partner with MNBC to expand its services by implementing the first-time home buyers’ program.
MFCBC’s CEO Evan Salter says “We are pleased to add the first-time home buyers’ program to our portfolio. We recognize how home ownership can change the lives of Métis families for today, tomorrow and for many years to come. The first-time home buyers’ program is an investment in our greatest resource – our people.”
