OTTAWA — Federal Housing Minister Nate Erskine-Smith is asking on the Ontario authorities to do extra to deal with social housing wants within the province.
OTTAWA — Federal Housing Minister Nate Erskine-Smith is asking on the Ontario authorities to do extra to deal with social housing wants within the province.
At a press convention in Ottawa to announce a brand new deal on housing the homeless between Ottawa and almost a dozen municipalities in Ontario and Saskatchewan, Erskine-Smith mentioned that whereas Ontario has elevated its helps for the homeless, the federal government of Premier Doug Ford has decreased helps for group housing “by roughly the identical quantity.”
“We’d like group housing if we would like a long-term resolution. A shelter mattress simply would not provide the soundness all of us want,” Erskine-Smith mentioned at his first announcement since taking on the housing portfolio final month.
“As we have ramped up federal spending on group and social housing, the Ontario authorities has seen match to cut back its personal commitments on this house.”
Erskine-Smith mentioned the province has seen spending on social housing decline by almost 10 per cent, even after factoring in federal commitments.
“Ontario is the one province — the one province — the place duty for social housing has been downloaded to municipalities,” Erskine-Smith continued.
“It would not must be this fashion, and admittedly it wasn’t at all times this fashion.”
Erskine-Smith’s first announcement was a two-year, $91 million settlement with 9 Ontario municipalities, in addition to Regina and Saskatoon, to assist the municipalities’ encampment response plans. The municipalities will match Ottawa’s contributions.
These plans embrace creating new shelter areas and rising transitional housing choices.
An identical deal value $6.4 million was signed with the Metropolis of London in December.
The federal authorities made offers instantly with the municipalities after being unable to come back to agreements with the governments of Ontario and Saskatchewan.
Whereas the agreements preceded him, Erskine-Smith mentioned these two provinces weren’t prepared to match the federal government’s contributions.
“I did communicate with the minister in Ontario, and he indicated there was at all times a willingness in reaching a deal, and issues went sideways for one cause or one other,” he mentioned.
“Clearly, timeliness was a consideration right here. When winter’s coming, you gotta be sure to’re delivering all of the helps you want in an actual quick time period. On the finish of the day, we simply wanted to get these offers performed and so needed to attain on to municipalities.”
Erskine-Smith mentioned offers have been reached with all different provinces and territories, with particulars to be introduced within the coming weeks.
This report by Ontario Chronicle was first revealed Jan. 22, 2025.
Nick Murray, Ontario Chronicle
