Massive interest in construction after incentive
As a result of $30,000 housing incentive plan
September 9, 2024, 8:21 am
Kevin Weedmark
Moosomin Economic Development Officer Casey McCormac says the response to Moosomin’s $30,000 residential construction incentive has been overwhelming.
She’s had calls from across the country, and even from outside the country.
In addition to people looking to move to Moosomin to build a house because of the $30,000 incentive, McCormac has taken calls from developers, RTM builders and construction companies looking to set up in town.
“It’s been even more successful than we could have even hoped,” says McCormac.
“The reason we did the $30,000 was to get the publicity for Moosomin and I think it worked 10 times better than Council even knew it was going to. It hit national news and I’ve had calls from Ontario, Quebec, the Maritimes, Germany, the United States.
“It’s crazy the amount of coverage it’s gotten, and not just for the residential incentive. It’s really good publicity for Moosomin in general.”
“There have been some calls from businesses, so hopefully there’s some more businesses that are going to come out of this. Definitely construction companies are looking at the area. I’ve heard from lots of different modular home builders because that seems to be the way that things are going with the cost of construction. I’ve also heard from people who are interested that own their own businesses—like from one person that owns a bakery and random little stores and businesses like that. I’m just hoping that this publicity helps push us forward towards our goal of becoming a city.”
McCormac says she has taken more than 100 calls on the housing incentive.
“When it first started hitting national news, all day, all I did was answer the phone. I had four lines ringing at once and my cell phone and the office was fielding calls for me.”
She said she has no doubt the target number of units will be built under the program. “I have no doubt that we’re going to hit that target,” she said. “We have three years to hit it and I think we’re going to hit it in one to two years instead. Everyone is excited about it, but I do think that it will lead to long term growth because it shows that the town of Moosomin is willing to invest in the people and invest in bringing those people to town and invest in the residents’ wellbeing.”
McCormac said she believes the program can be replicated elsewhere.
“I definitely think that this is something that could be replicated in other places. I think that it is important that the town is forward thinking and realizes the importance of it but I definitely think that it’s something that can be replicated. I’ve actually had phone calls from different towns asking many, many questions. One guy that I was on the phone with yesterday for half an hour was asking me questions about how we came up with our incentive. I think that it’s very interesting and has definitely caught the attention of people so I think that it’s something that could be replicated by people who think the same way as Moosomin.
“Investing in housing is huge because we can bring in all of the businesses that we want, and bring in all of the different companies and whatever else, but without the people to run them, they won’t work. To bring in more people, we need more housing because there is currently no vacancy in rentals and hardly any houses on the market in Moosomin. If the people can’t find somewhere to live, how are you going to run a business if you don’t have employees because they have nowhere to live?”
Developers interested
McCormac said developers are interested in the incentive and are looking at the area. “I think developers are very intrigued because it’s not like something that anyone else has done and I think they’re really excited about it because it shows that Moosomin really wants them to come and wants them to come build. It just gives them that little extra money to help them out at the end. They’re very intrigued by it.”
‘Is this real?’
McCormac said the most common question she’s getting is whether the $30,000 payment for a new house is real.
“A lot of people call and say, ‘Is this real? Are you sure that this is real?’ I say yes and then they ask, ‘What’s the catch? Do I have to make a specific-looking home or does it have to be 2,000 square feet or can it be a modular home?’ I say, ‘No, it can be any kind of home. As long as that’s what can be put on that lot, you’re good to go.’ People are just amazed and a lot of people think it can’t be real, we can’t be giving out $30,000 to everyone who builds a home, but we are, because it’s an investment in the future of our community.”
McCormac says she is proud of the role Moosomin Economic Development had in crafting the incentive.
“I’m so proud because it shows how forward-thinking Moosomin is and how willing our town is to invest in our future. I think the EDC did play a big role in coming up with this plan, along with the CBA, and it’s just super cool to see that people all over Canada realize how up-and-coming Moosomin is and are starting to look differently at rural Saskatchewan.”
