Affordable housing money coming in federal budget

OTTAWA Cities desperate for affordable housing money from the federal government are expected to find out in Wednesday’s budget that they will receive approximately half of the $22 billion in the Liberals’ social infrastructure fund, The Canadian Press has learned.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had previously telegraphed to the mayors of the country’s biggest cities that they would receive close to the $12.6 billion they felt was needed to address an affordable housing shortage countrywide.

Since then, municipal leaders and housing providers have privately revised their budgetary expectations down to around $11 billion.

Multiple sources speaking on condition of anonymity, so as to discuss private conversations about a budget that is not yet public, say the Liberals will unveil spending next week that falls around that mark, making affordable housing a key story line coming out of the Trudeau government’s second budget.

Adding to the narrative is how the Liberals plans to get the money to cities, with the minister in charge eyeing some non-traditional ways of targeting the cash directly to municipalities so it meets the government’s goals.

The minister in charge of the file declined to comment on the contents of the budget documents. Social Development Minister Jean-Yves Duclos said the government has already outlined an ambitious financial commitment to infrastructure.

The multi-year, multi-billion dollar funding for affordable housing will come out of the Liberals’ social infrastructure fund that will be worth $21.9 billion over the next 10 years.

Municipal officials are expecting extra money for affordable housing could come from the Liberals’ green infrastructure fund. The fund could help cities retrofit existing units to make them more energy efficient, while also reducing operating costs that squeeze some housing providers, said Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson.