National housing strategy 'a long time coming' for Waterloo region

The federal government's $40 billion national housing strategy, announced Wednesday, has been "a long time coming," according to municipal leaders who have been advocating for better supports.

Municipalities have been asking for a national strategy for more than 20 years, Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic told The Morning Edition's host Craig Norris.

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"We've been working long and hard as municipal governments towards getting to this point," he said. "Certainly, we would like to see a little more of it front-ended than back-ended ... but what I will say to you is this is further than we've ever gotten before," said Vrbanovic on Thursday.

Trudeau defends timing of housing funding

7 years ago

Duration 0:25

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government needs time to ensure the national housing strategy will get it right for Canadians.

Housing strategy details

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the strategy in Toronto on Wednesday, saying "housing rights are human rights. Everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home."

His plan promises to tackle everything from homelessness to Canada's aging affordable housing infrastructure, including:

• Building 100,000 new affordable housing units.
• Repairing 300,000 affordable housing units.
• Cutting chronic homelessness by 50 per cent.
• Protecting 385,000 households from losing an affordable home.
• Providing 300,000 households with financial assistance through the Canada Housing Benefit.
• Removing 530,000 households from housing need.

Most of the funding for the plan had already been announced in the 2017 budget and will therefore not have any impact on the federal government's fiscal plan.

The exception is the $4 billion Canada Housing Benefit, which the federal government says will help families by providing an average rent subsidy of $2,500 annually beginning in April 2020 and concluding in 2028.

'More livable communities'

"The money's significant, because it really tackles many of the areas that we've focused on," Vrbanovic said. "It's going to allow us as cities to create more livable and inclusive communities going forward."

Vrbanovic said the details of the strategystill need to be worked out, includinghow much of the money will trickle down to Waterloo region and how local housing services will access the funds.

Some people do continue to need formal, affordable housing projects, but this is a lot more flexible and can be delivered a lot more quickly, because people don't have to rely on housing being built.- Elizabeth Clarke

He said he hopes the federal government will look to local governments as experts when it comes to deciding how the money and programming should be rolled out.

Although the strategy has been announced, municipal leaders said it could take some time for the money to begin flowing to lower tiers of government.

That said, Elizabeth Clark, a regional councilor and executive director of YWCA Kitchener-Waterloo, said she was excited to hear the details in the prime minister's announcement.

Reducing wait lists

"I was particularly pleased about the emphasis on people living in low income and on homelessness. We often miss that and focus more on affordable home ownership," she said.

In Waterloo region, there are more than 3,000 households waiting for affordable housing. If Waterloo region qualifies for some of the promised 100,000 new units, that will help shrink the wait list.

But Clarke said the new Canada Housing Benefit would go even further towards reducing the number of people waiting for affordable housing.

"That is generally considered to be an ideal of delivering this sort of service," she said. "Some people do continue to need formal, affordable housing projects, but this is a lot more flexible and can be delivered a lot more quickly, because people don't have to rely on housing being built."

The region already offers two similar benefits. One is for women and their children who are fleeing violence. The other is for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.

Clarke said the benefits have been successful, but are not enough to put a dent in the general housing wait list.