Up to 379 affordable homes will soon be built through funding from the City of Calgary’s Indigenous Housing Program.

It’s the city’s largest-ever investment into Indigenous housing, with $33 million going toward 16 First Nations and Indigenous-led non-profits.

Known as Maa’too’maa’taapii Aoko’iyii’piaya in Blackfoot, the funding initiative was first announced last year. The city revealed grant recipients Monday.

16 recipients, 24 projects

The 16 funding recipients are responsible for a total of 24 projects in Calgary.

Five projects will receive the large share of the funds, getting $20.2 million to directly build 147 housing units. Another four projects got $10.6 million in grants to purchase land that could deliver up to 232 more homes.

The funding covers up to 40 per cent of eligible capital costs for the building and construction of those Indigenous-led affordable housing projects.

The remaining 15 grants of $150,000 each are for planning and engagement that leads to future development of new housing projects.

The affordable housing will be built in various parts of the city, including in Crescent Heights, Erin Woods and Forest Lawn. The city says they’ll include everything from studio apartments to single-family detached homes.

WATCH | City saw massive demand for Maa’too’maa’taapii Aoko’iyii’piaya/Indigenous Housing Program:

City’s Indigenous-led housing initiative overflowing with building applications

The application period for funding under the city’s Indigenous/First Nations housing program closed Oct. 31. The program was launched in August with $33 million in one-time capital funding.

Program responds to barriers faced by Indigenous Calgarians

The city has said that homelessness disproportionately impacts Indigenous people.

“It is a direct response to deep, prudent, systemic housing inequities experienced by Indigenous people,” the city’s indigenous housing team lead Samantha Efthimiou said at Monday’s announcement.

Forty-one per cent Calgary’s homeless population is made of up Indigenous people, despite only making up about three per cent of the city’s population, according to statistics cited by the city at the time.

On top of that, 3,800 Indigenous households struggle to afford and keep housing, according to the city.

“Housing is about safety, it is about belonging. It is about dignity. It is about healing,” said Blackfoot elder Jackie Bromley, who worked on the program with the city as part of the Housing Solutions Elders Advisory Committee.

“When we do this work in a good way, with ceremony and respect and with community, we create something strong — create spaces where our people can heal. grow and strive,” Bromley said.