The mayors of Canada's 22 largest municipalities are pushing the federal government to extend a subsidy program used to assist 600,000 low-income households that is due to expire next year.
"Canada’s big-city mayors are taking on a new battle: low-cost housing," reports Frances Bula. "And they have kicked off a campaign to persuade the federal government to continue a decades-old form of support for subsidized housing that is used to reduce the rent for 600,000 households."
'There’s $500-million a year in housing investments expiring in 2014. That’s the big bombshell that’s landing,' Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson said from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities convention in the city on Thursday."
"Many non-profits and co-ops operate on a model in which some renters pay full market rent, some get a small subsidy and others get a much larger subsidy," explains Bula. "Having one-third of each type of renter has been seen as the norm."
But if the subsidy program is allowed to expire next year, the non-profits, co-ops and local governments that use it will have to rent more of their units at market prices to make up for the loss.
FULL STORY: Affordable housing tops the agenda as mayors make plea to Ottawa for help
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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