Federal Government interest in affordable housing for Canadians peaked after World War II and then steadily declined into indifference and neglect that has characterized that government’s attitude over the last few decades.
Not surprising, therefore, that the recent return of the feds to the housing stage has been greeted with sustained and hand-numbing applause across the entire spectrum of Canadian governments, affordable housing activists, and salivating housing industry corporations.
As time wears on, new projects worthy of federal support are being solicited, and one by one, shiny new affordable housing projects are announced.
But as the focus of federal intent becomes clearer, it is beginning to appear that the hand-clapping may need to be curtailed, at least by those concerned about the future of a great number of Canadians who form the poorest and most vulnerable people in need of affordable shelter.
True, the new federal initiative promises money will be spent on refurbishing much neglected social housing. But stopping the rot of existing housing does little or nothing for the huge and rapidly growing backlog of citizens who, in the face of rising housing prices, can only afford to rent on a social housing scale. Unfortunately, the tens of thousands of homes they need neither exist, nor to date appear to be even a part of federal plan. Those plans seem to be largely revealed as ‘aren’t we doing great?’ middle class affordability project announcements.
An example of how the federal government is giving with one hand, while taking away with another? The North West Territories are both gaining and losing federal housing support at the same time, leaving the region with a new puzzle: in spite of the supposed benefits of a shiny new national initiative, the region is facing their growing affordable housing crisis with a housing budget that is close to static. Read more at the CBC: Federal housing strategy won’t lead to more public housing units in N.W.T.
