Cities seek immediate help on housing affordability in federal budget

Apr 5, 2022 | 9:49 AM

OTTAWA — The head of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities says the federal Liberals must be ambitious about lowering the cost of housing in the federal budget later this week.

Joanne Vanderheyden says the pandemic has shown how dire Canada’s housing needs are and delaying spending because of competing demands for public spending is not an option.

She says the government can rely on existing programs that have proven successful during the pandemic to boost the supply of housing such as the popular and successful rapid-housing program.

That program gives cities money for quick construction of modular homes or to buy buildings that can be turned into affordable housing units.