17 Conservative MPs advocating for access
HALDIMAND—Seventeen Conservative MPs have contacted the federal government to advocate for their ridings to access the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF), which is funding up to $4.4 billion for communities who commit to finding ways of reducing red tape that would slow housing development.
That advocacy was done despite Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s promise to end the program and replace it with an end to GST on new homes priced under $1 million.
Nearly 180 deals have been struck through HAF with municipalities, resulting in over $1 billion in funds dispersed so far.
An April 2, 2024 statement from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau noted, “Since launching … last year, the federal government has signed 179 agreements across the country to fast-track more than 750,000 homes over the next decade. Today’s $400 million top-up will fast-track an additional 12,000 new homes in the next three years.”
The statement went on to review other measures, such as “a new $6 billion Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund to accelerate the construction and upgrading of critical housing infrastructure.”
As HAF funding goes to reducing barriers to construction and not direct construction costs, a recent Conservative ad uses a montage of clips of Housing Minister Sean Fraser saying “HAF doesn’t actually build homes” followed by Poilievre stating, “We’re going to cut the programs that Liberals themselves admit haven’t built any homes”.
Fraser countered this ad in an online post on October 29, stating, “Pierre announced yesterday he would cut billions for housing that communities are depending upon. He must not be aware his MPs have been writing me for months to ask that their communities receive funding because they know it is helping build more homes!”
Poilievre’s office sent out a press release with the names of the 17 MPs, published without their prior knowledge, stating, “Those who engaged the Liberal government did so because Trudeau and Fraser lied to municipalities by telling them it builds houses.”
One name not on that list was Haldimand Norfolk MP Leslyn Lewis.
“While Justin Trudeau gives billions of taxpayer dollars to municipal gatekeepers and governments who raise taxes and fees, our common sense plan will use that money to axe the GST on home purchases under $1 million and save homeowners up to $50,000 on a new home, to provide real relief directly to Canadians,” responded Lewis in a request for comment.
Lewis backed Poilievre’s direction, adding, “Common sense Conservatives will fire the gatekeepers and bring home lower home prices for Canadians.”
She said that under Trudeau, down payments, mortgages, and rents have doubled, further iterating Poilievre by asserting that Hosing Minister Sean Fraser “admitted his flagship housing photo op fund doesn’t actually build homes, and yet he expects the people of Haldimand and Norfolk to believe spending more of their money to get no results will fix the problem.”
She continued, “Despite spending billions of dollars on photo ops, housing starts are down. Nearly 8 in 10 Canadians who don’t own a home believe they never will. The annual income needed to afford a home in Haldimand and Norfolk is a whopping $208,000 and the rental vacancy rate is an astoundingly low 0.2%.”
Fraser released a statement on November 22: “Since 2017, the federal government has renewed its efforts to address Canada’s housing crisis with the launch of the National Housing Strategy and passage of the National Housing Strategy Act, which recognizes housing as a human right. Through the introduction of Canada’s Housing Plan last April, our government has continued to expand its leadership role in addressing the housing crisis to build more homes, make it easier to rent or own a home, and help Canadians who can’t afford a home…. The federal government is investing in building homes faster, streamlined city planning, reducing homebuilding costs, innovative construction methods, and infrastructure to build more housing at a price Canadians can afford.”
The Press reached out to County representative Kyra Hayes for some insight on whether Haldimand has or is considering attempting to access the HAF program.
“The County has not received, nor has it applied for funding from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund,” replied Hayes. “In terms of applying in the future, senior staff are currently reviewing the program application requirements as well as County project eligibility.”
On whether Haldimand would consider reaching out to MP Lewis to advocate on their behalf should they choose to submit a HAF application, she said, “Those are great questions; unfortunately, I don’t have an answer for you as staff are still in the process of reviewing the requirements and eligibility. I’m sure that if we decide to put an application in, it will first be discussed at Council.”
