De Jong welcomes $11.2B national housing strategy

VANCOUVER — The federal budget appears to be in line with British Columbia’s approach to affordable housing, child care and transit, Finance Minister Mike de Jong said Wednesday, calling a new $11.2 billion national housing strategy a “relevant and significant” amount of money.

It’s unclear how large a share B.C. will get, but he said the focus on encouraging partnerships between housing providers and the private sector matches the province’s strategy.

“It is entirely consistent with the approach we’re trying to take here,” he said.

De Jong addressed the federal budget after announcing $5 million to support the expansion in Vancouver of Covenant House, which helps homeless youth. He said it is an example of how partnerships between the government and the private sector or societies can create new housing.

“We get way more bang for the public buck by affecting those partnerships,” he said.

The recent provincial budget promised an increase in childcare spaces in the province, and de Jong said federal funding to do the same will help take the pressure off wait lists.

B.C.’s NDP Opposition has promised a $10 per day child-care program, but de Jong said the provincial government is not considering a similar plan, even with the new federal funds.

The announcement of about $2.2 billion from Ottawa to support rapid transit projects in Metro Vancouver has been welcomed by both de Jong and the region’s mayors.

The TransLink mayors’ council said in a statement that they’re looking forward to working with the provincial government to match the funds.

De Jong said the province will provide its promised 33 per cent of the bill and with the new federal commitment, it’s time to finalize plans for new transit.

“It seems to me the pieces are falling into place and we’re hopeful that we can now get beyond merely talking about it and getting on with building some expanded transit capacity,” he said.