(Ottawa) A study commissioned by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities reveals that municipalities would need $600 billion in infrastructure funding to help support the construction of 5.8 million housing units by 2030.
That’s the number of doors the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation says Canada needs to build to restore housing affordability.
Canadian municipalities are expressing disappointment that the federal Liberals did not include a new infrastructure funding model in their fall economic statement this week, despite the Prime Minister’s promise to do so.
The federation held a press conference Thursday in Ottawa to ask the federal government to convene provincial, territorial and municipal leaders to discuss a new funding framework that would better take into account economic and population growth.
Municipalities say they need more money to build everything from roads to public transportation to drinking water systems to support the construction of more housing, and are looking to higher levels of government to obtain the funds.
“We don’t expect the federal government and the provinces to turn around on Saturday morning and write a check for $600 billion to close that gap,” said Mike Savage, mayor of Halifax and chair of the federal caucus. mayors of large cities.
“What we’re waiting for is for them to recognize that this is a real threat to Canada’s future, and particularly to its growth, and to look at things they can do.” , he added.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s financial update earlier this week included few new housing policies as the Liberal government acknowledged the pressure inflation and high interest rates are putting on finances federal.
“We recognize the financial constraints facing the federal government, as well as provincial governments,” Mr. Savage told reporters. But municipal governments are under even more budgetary pressure. »
The Liberal government has generally taken a friendly approach toward municipalities, choosing to work with them on various priorities, including housing.
For example, he launched a $4 billion Housing Accelerator Fund program last summer, which gives cities with ambitious plans to boost housing construction the opportunity to apply for additional federal funding.
Mr. Savage acknowledged that the federal government has done a lot for cities, but said municipalities need more support to achieve Canada’s housing ambitions.
“We have had a pretty good relationship with this government over the last few years,” he said. They (were) elected, you will remember, in 2015, on the promise of going into debt to help finance infrastructure, including municipal infrastructure. So we are not denigrating what the federal government (has) done. But we need more. »
In a press release, the press secretary of Mme Freeland’s Katherine Cuplinskas said the fall economic statement was “squarely” focused on housing with billions in new investments to allow more housing to be built. However, she did not explain why the federal government has not presented a new infrastructure funding model for municipalities.
“The federal government is at the table with billions of dollars in support and expects Canadians to do the same: for all their elected officials to work together to build more housing, faster,” she said. .