The federal housing minister, and the Ontario housing minister, announced last Friday that they were moving ahead on the federal-provincial affordable housing program. If it all sounded a bit familiar, well, it was!
The federal-Ontario housing program was launched with the signing of the Affordable Housing Framework Agreement, which was announced on November 31, 2001. Six months later, the feds and Ontario signed a bilateral housing agreement and announced that on May 30, 2002. Then, they announced the “first phase” of new housing in an announcement on December 6, 2002.
On November 18, 2003, the federal and Ontario governments announced that they were renewing their commitment to the housing program. On February 26, 2004, still another announcement that this time, they were determined and certain to move ahead.
After a year of silence, the feds and Ontario made another announcement that they were proceeding on Feb. 14, 2005, followed quickly by another announcement on March 23, 2005, and then yet another federal-Ontario housing agreement on April 29, 2005.
And then, an allocation announcement on August 31, 2005 to be followed, about one year later, by another allocation announcement.
In the Friday announcement, at least 11 of the 43 specific projects had already been announced in early announcements.
- Michael Shapcott
