The town of Moosomin in eastern Saskatchewan plans to double its population by offering $30,000 checks to those who build homes in the community.

Town councillor Murray Gray said Moosomin has a diverse economy and has seen an increase in construction in recent years and is now looking to add more homes for new incoming workers.

He said, "A check will be cut from the town directly to the builder, so we hope that will attract some developers or people who are building their own homes."

Gray says the funds will be made available when the building inspector issues the occupancy permit.

The funds to be used belong to the town of Moosomin but were initially provided through the federal government's housing acceleration fund.

Gray said, "We had cooperation between RM, the community builders alliance, and the town; we came together and put in an application for that, and they saw the same need we see, so it worked out."

Gray added that the guarantees for the plan were already in place through the federal government, so they didn't feel the need to add any additional layers of protection.

Gray continued, "To add the doors, you must follow the building permit, so it would be impossible for someone not to build correctly, so all the bureaucracy is in place to definitely prevent that."

Gray added that the residents in the town are excited about the initiative and want to see the community continue to grow.

He said, "It's great to see a community taking a step forward with all the good things that have happened between adding daycares and our busy hospital; we have 14 doctors. A lot of these things create excitement in our community, and people are proud of our community and our region."

Gray is completely confident that the initiative will succeed and that the population of Moosomin will grow significantly, adding that the town was already growing before the plan was announced.

He said, "I think it's the cherry on top of the sundae."

In Saskatchewan towns, the population must be sustainably at least 5,000 before being considered to become a city.

According to the 2021 census, the population of Moosomin was 2,657.

Moosomin is located about 225 kilometers east of Regina near the Manitoba border.