Federal-provincial spat over housing may affect Huron County project
BY SHAWN LOUGHLIN
Tensions between the provincial and federal governments are having real-world implications at the Huron County level in regards to housing funding, according to some Huron County councillors.
Social and Property Services Director Barbara Hall reported to Huron County Council at its April 17 meeting regarding potential funding changes to the National Housing Strategy. She told council that all of Ontario’s consolidated municipal service managers (CMSM) received correspondence late last month from Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Paul Calandra that relayed information from federal Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Sean Fraser.
The information relayed told of the federal government considering withholding over $350 million in funding from the provincial government and, in turn, CMSMs. In her report, Hall said the consideration was being attributed to “a lack of progress by the province to meet the affordable housing targets set under the bilateral agreement.”
She told council that the funding remains up in the air as far as housing programs across the province, including Huron County, are concerned.
“The province has been in discussions with the federal government regarding finalizing the National Housing Strategy’s Action Plan and associated amendments to the bilateral agreement, which affect funding under the National Housing Strategy’s programs,” Hall said in her report to council. “These programs include the Canada-Ontario Community Housing Initiative (COCHI), the Ontario Priorities Housing Initiative (OPHI) and the Canada-Ontario Housing Benefit (COHB). The Action Plan was to be mutually agreed upon between the province and the federal government by March 31, 2024. For the time being, the National Housing Strategy planning allocations for these programs for the 2024/2025 program year remain unconfirmed.”
She noted, however, that the Homelessness Prevention Program funding for 2024/2025, in the amount of $1.086 million for Huron County, remains confirmed.
She said that the county was awarded $6.4 million for the Sanders Street affordable housing project last year through COCHI. To date, the county has received half of that money.
“Completion of structural framing is being confirmed by the consulting architect and, once the certificate of completion is submitted to the Ministry, the next milestone draw for this work is scheduled to be paid at 40 per cent, which is $2,569,600,” Hall said in her report.
She added that the 2024/2025 COCHI allocation of $418,300 and the OPHI funding of $257,300 are on hold. Both funding allocations were earmarked to be used for the Gibbons Street project.
Councillors were clearly frustrated by this development and suggested reaching out to both upper tiers of government to illustrate the real-world impact this infighting between the two branches of government is having in Huron County and beyond.
Huron East Mayor Bernie MacLellan suggested strong wording for the letter, pushing the politicians to learn to “play in the same sandbox” and get along.
A motion to send correspondence was carried.