Liberals propose billions for housing

OTTAWA • A Liberal government fond of promising help for those working hard to join the middle class put its money where its mouth is Wednesday, unveiling a new housing benefit for lowincome tenants, billions of dollars for repairing existing affordable housing units and a vision for building 100,000 more.

The portable housing benefit could eventually help 300,000 households between 2021 — when the money is to start flowing — and 2028 by providing on average $ 2,500 in help, and could go to those already in social housing and those on wait lists for a unit, the government says.

A new financing program will be established to help housing providers repair aging units, and to use their assets to leverage additional cash in order to build new apartments and homes. The $ 15.9- billion housing fund will create 60,000 new affordable housing units and allow repairs to 240,000 more, through grants and loans that prioritize mixedincome developments.

Here are the highlights of the strategy:

The country will have a new, portable housing benefit starting in 2021. The money can’t flow until then because the Liberals need to negotiate funding agreements with provinces and territories to make sure they match federal cash — and ensure the benefit doesn’t result in clawbacks to provincial benefit programs. The Liberals estimate that the benefit will provide on average $2,500 a year in help to a total of 300,000 households over seven years.

There isn’t any help for Canadians having a hard time getting a mortgage. The strategy references federal work to find ways to help get mortgage loan insurance for people who have a hard time qualifying, such as self- employed individuals. However, it doesn’t establish a timeline for when a decision on that issue would be made.

There is lots of money in the plan, but not all of it is new. Nor does all of it come from the federal government. Billions will have to come from matching spending from the provinces and territories, or else they don’t get access to the money. What the Liberals hope is that they can build about 100,000 new affordable housing units, and renovate 240,000 more.

Federal legislation will eventually make housing a fundamental right. That will come with the creation of a federal housing advocate, regular reports to Parliament, and an advisory council that combined will ensure the strategy doesn’t go off the rails.

Indigenous peoples will have to wait another year, at least. The government says it is working on finalizing a housing strategy for Aboriginal peoples in Canada because deeper consultations still need to take place with national Indigenous groups. The document released Wednesday says that a distinct plan will be created for each of First Nations, Inuit and Métis.