Reports / Articles

For immediate release                                                                                       
November 22, 2002

More than half provinces betray commitments:

NHHN “report card” on anniversary of Affordable Housing Framework Agreement

The Affordable Housing Framework Agreement was signed one year ago by every federal, provincial and territorial housing minister in order “to create more affordable housing throughout the country as quickly as possible”. But a new report card released on National Housing Day (Nov. 22) by the National Housing and Homelessness Network shows that more than half the provincial governments have betrayed the commitments that they made in November of 2001.

“Our report should be a wake-up call to the federal government,” says Michael Shapcott, Co-Chair of the National Housing and Homelessness Network. “They have a responsibility to make sure the provinces and territories honour the promises they made last year. Homeless people have literally been left out in the cold by the actions of Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia and several other provinces. Low, moderate and middle-income households are facing a long, cold winter. The new review reveals that: 

·        outside of Quebec, less than 200 new housing units have actually been built since the signing of the November, 2001, housing deal.

·        three provinces still haven’t signed a bilateral housing deal with the federal government, despite promising to do so 12 months ago.

·        the two richest provinces, Ontario and Alberta, cut $618 million from provincial housing spending in the current year despite their promise “to increase the supply of affordable housing.” Four other provinces also cut housing spending in 2002-2003.

·        only Quebec and the three territories are taking seriously the commitment made by all the provinces and territories to match the $680 million over five years promised by the federal government in the framework agreement.

·        the definition of “affordable housing” has been seriously weakened in the bilateral housing deals, which means that low and moderate-income households may not be able to afford the rents in many of the new units.

 Newfoundland

and Labrador

 

No

 --

 Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation:

2002-2003 Estimates:

$10,110,000

2001-2002 Revised:

$8,935,000

Increase: 13% 

 Bilateral housing agreement with federal government is expected soon

 PEI

 

 No

 --

 Housing programs:

2002-2003 Estimates:

$3,919,400

2001-2002 Forecast:

$3,963,900

Decrease: 1% 

 

 Nova Scotia

 

 Sept. 13, 2002

 

 According to the agreement:

$18.63 million – federal

$18.63 million – provincial

 

Actual new provincial spending under terms of bilateral deal:

?????

 

 Housing services:

2002-2003 Estimates:

$13,717,000*

2001-2002 Forecast:

$18,219,000*

Decrease: 25%

* The reason for the decrease is a one-time increase of $4.5 million in last year’s housing budget.

Rental vacancy rate in Halifax has dropped from 7.7% in 1997 to a critically low 2.8% in 2001

 

The province announced construction of 15 units of affordable rental housing in Middleton in mid-November

 

New

Brunswick

 

 No

 --

 

Housing services:

2002-2003 Estimates:

$70,141,000

2001-2002 Revised:

$69,686,000

Increase: less than 1%

 

 Quebec

 

 Dec. 21, 2001

 

 According to the agreement:

$161.65 million – federal

$161.65 million – provincial

 

Actual new provincial spending under terms of bilateral deal:

$105 million

Municipalities will contribute $57 million.

 Investment in housing:

2002-2003 Budget:

$128,600,000*

2003-2004 Projection:

$194,000,000*

Increase: 51%

* Comparison is for current year and next year in Quebec. Comparison for other jurisdictions is current year and previous year.

Quebec’s two major housing programs (AccèsLogis and the new affordable housing program) are expected to create 2,900 new units in 2002-2003 (1,600 in federal-provincial deal) and 6,200 new units in 2003-2004 (4,900 in the federal-provincial deal).

Ontario

 

 May 30,

2002

 

According to the agreement:

$244.71 million – federal

$244.71 million – provincial 

Actual new provincial spending Under terms of bilateral deal:

None, but $20 million in new spending promised. Municipalities will pay most of  “provincial” contribution - $180 million. 

Housing market program:

2002-2003 Estimates:

$738,056,400

2001-2002 Estimates:

$1,273,948,400

Decrease: 42%

 

Ontario took six months to sign bilateral housing deal with feds. Six months after that, there are still no details of the new provincial housing program. Advocates expect most of the money will go to private investors building $1,000-plus per month units.

 Manitoba

 

 Sept. 20,

2002

 

 According to the agreement:

$25.39 million – federal

$25.39 million – provincial

 

Actual new provincial spending under terms of bilateral deal:

?????

 

Housing:

2002-2003 Estimates:

$35,579,900

2001-2002 Estimates:

$43,448,000

Decrease: 18%

* This includes a $6.7 million cut in the statutory appropriation for Manitoba Housing and Renewal Corporation

Former Minister Tim Sale: “Manitoba housing expenditures have been increasing. The 2002/03 increase is not apparent in Estimates because it is funded from non-appropriation sources held by the Manitoba Housing and Renewal Corporation.”

 

Saskatchewan

 

June 28,

2002

 

 According to the agreement:

$22.93 million – federal

$22.93 million – provincial

Actual new provincial spending under terms of bilateral deal:

?????

Housing:

2002-2003 Estimates:

$33,495,000

2001-2002 Estimates:

$36,275,000

Decrease: 8%

A 50-unit seniors housing project was opened on Oct. 10, 2002, and another 50-unit project was opened on Sept. 26, 2002, with partial funding from the federal-provincial program

Alberta

 

 June 24, 2002

 

According to the agreement:

$67.12 million – federal

$67.12 million – provincial

Actual new provincial spending under terms of bilateral deal:

No new money announced yet 

Housing services:

2002-2003 Estimates:

$81,899,000

2001-2002 Budget:

$164,702,000

Decrease: 50% 

Biggest housing cuts this year: 97% from seniors supportive housing ($31.7 million to $1 million); 72% cut from Alberta Social Housing Corporation (from $71.5 million to $20.2 million)

 

British

Columbia

 

 Dec. 18, 2001

According to the agreement:

$88.7 million – federal

$88.7 million – provincial

Actual new provincial spending under terms of bilateral deal:

?????

Housing:

2002-2003 Estimates:

$136,563,000

2001-2002 Estimates:

$132,398,000

Increase: 3%

B.C. cancelled 1,700 affordable units, then revived 697 of them using federal funds

A 40-unit housing project was opened on Sept. 30, 2002, with federal-provincial housing funds

Yukon

 

Oct. 2,

2002

 

According to the agreement:

$5.5 million – federal

$5.5 million – territorial

Actual new territorial spending

under terms of bilateral deal:

?????

Yukon Housing Corporation:

2002-2003 Estimates:

$12,830,000

2001-2002 Forecast:

$12,605,000

Increase: 2%

 

 

NWT

 

 Feb. 5,

2002

 

According to the agreement:

$7.5 million – federal

$7.5 million – territorial

Actual new territorial spending under terms of bilateral deal:

$7,540,000

NWT Housing Corporation:

2002-2003 Estimates:

$48,981,000

2001-2002 Revised Estimate:

$46,856,000

Increase: 5%

NWT is providing its matching share, plus increasing territorial housing spending

Nunavut

 

 Feb. 6,

2002

 

According to the agreement:

$4.96 million – federal

$4.96 million – territorial

 

Actual new territorial spending:

$4,960,000

Nunavut Housing Corporation

2002-2003 Estimates:

$93,900,000

2001-2002 Revised Estimates:

$86,100,000

Increase: 9%

Nunavut is providing its matching share, plus increasing territorial housing spending

For more information on, contact the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee at: 416-599-8372

Back to Reports