WATCH: The federal government is promising a new $6 billion infrastructure fund in its upcoming budget, aimed at fast-tracking home construction to alleviate Canada's housing crisis. But Mackenzie Gray explains what has to happen first before the plan can be executed.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement while he was in Dartmouth, N.S., as part of the government’s pre-budget tour.
“The federal government to date has not provided adequate or appropriate funding to Alberta for housing, and are once again bypassing provincial jurisdiction by not consulting or even notifying provinces about the new program,” the statement read.“This is another example of the federal government’s long history of ignoring the province’s jurisdiction and playing politics with important issues like housing.
The other $5 billion would be allocated to agreements with provinces and territories meant to support long-term priorities. That funding would flow over a longer period of time, with those details hammered out during negotiations.In response to the Alberta ministers’ statement, a spokesperson from the office of the deputy prime minister and minister of finance said in a statement that everyone wants an affordable place to call home.
“If the federal government wants to actually remove red tape and make housing more affordable as they claim, they would instead listen to our calls to remove the carbon tax so that building costs are lowered, and shovels can actually get in the ground faster.”