The Liberal government has revealed another glimpse of what it will present in the coming federal budget, announcing it91裸聊视频檚 setting aside another $15 billion for an apartment construction loan program.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the initiative is being called 91裸聊视频淐anada builds91裸聊视频� and is meant to 91裸聊视频渢urbocharge affordable apartment construction.91裸聊视频�
The new money will bring the loan program91裸聊视频檚 available funding to $55 billion, the government said, and is aimed at building at least 131,000 apartments in the next decade.
The loan program was launched in 2017 and has helped create more than 48,000 homes so far.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e going to make the entire pot of funding available for matching partnerships with provinces and territories who come to the table with ambitious and fair housing plans,91裸聊视频� Trudeau told reporters in Toronto on Wednesday.
Those plans can include low- and high-rise buildings so long as the money is used to build apartments 91裸聊视频渢hat the middle class can afford,91裸聊视频� he said. Trudeau said the loan program is meant to ensure people can live where they work.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said that91裸聊视频檚 become a critical problem in her city.
91裸聊视频淲hen we try to hire personal support workers, public-health nurses, parks and rec workers, child-care workers, EMS workers, you name it 91裸聊视频� we91裸聊视频檙e having a hard time. Why? Because they say they can91裸聊视频檛 afford to work in the city,91裸聊视频� she said.
The government is also reforming the program to extend loan terms and expand financing to include housing for students and seniors.
The federal NDP panned the announcement and the strategy behind it, saying 97 per cent of the units built under the loan program are not affordable.
91裸聊视频淭rudeau91裸聊视频檚 out-of-touch housing strategy is dominated by loans to for-profit developers that don91裸聊视频檛 help Canadians who need homes they can afford,91裸聊视频� said housing critic Jenny Kwan.
And the Conservatives said in a statement of their own that this appears to be more of the same 91裸聊视频渇ailed policies,91裸聊视频� pointing out that more than half the available funds under the apartment loan program are not allocated.
91裸聊视频淭rudeau91裸聊视频檚 photo ops won91裸聊视频檛 come anywhere close to building the 5.8 million homes that are needed to restore housing affordability for Canadians,91裸聊视频� said housing critic Scott Aitchison.
The federal government appears to also have an uphill battle ahead to convince premiers to get on board.
Many of the government91裸聊视频檚 marquee policies 91裸聊视频� from child care and housing to dental care and pharmacare 91裸聊视频� touch on areas of provincial and territorial jurisdiction and require co-operation. That91裸聊视频檚 not been guaranteed across the country.
On Tuesday, Trudeau announced a $6-billion infrastructure fund to support homebuilding and a $400 million top-up to the housing accelerator fund.
The Liberals say the funding for provinces and territories will come with conditions, including adopting the recently announced renters91裸聊视频� bill of rights.
While the slate of housing-related announcements earned praise from B.C. Premier David Eby this week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said his government won91裸聊视频檛 sign on to any federal deal that requires municipalities to allow fourplexes.
91裸聊视频淭he difference between ourselves and the federal government 91裸聊视频� and I want to work with them, I am working with them on a lot of different issues on a daily basis 91裸聊视频� I don91裸聊视频檛 believe in forcing municipalities. I believe in working with municipalities,91裸聊视频� Ford said at a press conference Wednesday.
He went on to say that municipalities are best positioned to ensure homes are built 91裸聊视频渨here they belong.91裸聊视频�
Asked about Ford91裸聊视频檚 comments, Trudeau said Toronto has come forward with an 91裸聊视频渆xtremely ambitious housing plan91裸聊视频� under the housing accelerator program.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檇 love to do that right across the province, but if the province doesn91裸聊视频檛 want to step up with ambition on building the infrastructure needed to support more housing in general across the province, we91裸聊视频檒l do it specifically with willing partners,91裸聊视频� he said.
Alberta91裸聊视频檚 social services and municipal affairs ministers released a statement Wednesday saying they have 91裸聊视频渄eep concerns91裸聊视频� about the Tuesday announcement, accusing the federal government of playing politics and bypassing the provinces.
91裸聊视频淚f the federal government wants to actually remove red tape and make housing more affordable as they claim, they will instead listen to our calls to remove the carbon tax so that building costs are lowered,91裸聊视频� the statement from Jason Nixon and Ric McIver said.
The Liberal government has said affordability issues are its top priority for months, and made housing a central feature of the cabinet retreat held before the fall sitting of Parliament began last August.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is set to table the federal budget April 16.
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