The Prince Albert Indian Métis Friendship Centre has offered to purchase a city-owned property at 2950 First Avenue West for $249,000 to build a two level, eight-unit apartment building.

City council will consider the offer at Monday’s executive committee meeting. The Friendship Centre has applied for funding under the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Rapid House Initiative to help with the project.

The apartment building will provide low-incoming housing primarily for men, something Friendship Centre executive director Janet Carriere said Prince Albert lacks.

“There is little to no housing for specifically for men in our community,” Carriere wrote in a letter included in Monday’s council package. “We are also offering programming and support to all of the tenants. Our programming will be from an Indigenous perspective. Our end goal is to have healthy and productive members in our community.”

The Prince Albert Friendship Centre is one of several centres from across Saskatchewan seeking Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation funding for projects. If approved, the PA Friendship Centre would receive the money before the end of March, with the apartment ready for occupation within 12 months.

Carriere will make a short presentation on the proposal at Monday’s meeting.

The offer is one of seven items on a short executive committee meeting agenda. Other items include an update on the City’s investigation into creating a community safety program using motion sensor lights, and a joint funding proposal from the RM of Prince Albert to upgrade 48th Street East.

The meeting begins at 4 p.m. on Dec. 7 inside City Hall.