Canadian Social Housing Vulnerable as Federal Funding Disappears

“Nearly 200,000 low-income Canadian households in co-op and non-profit housing projects depend on federal rent-geared-to-income housing assistance to pay their rent," writes Lee-Anne Goodman.

“Social housing advocates fear much of Canada’s existing co-op housing could vanish if the current federal funding level of $1.7 billion a year dries up once the long-term operating agreements expire between Ottawa and affordable housing operators.”

“'The federal contribution to affordable housing was $3.6 billion in 2010. It has fallen to about $2 billion today, and it will fall further, to $1.8 billion by 2016,'” said member of parliament Mike Sullivan to the house of commons earlier this month. “'This is a 52 per cent cut over six years, at a time when the need for affordable housing continues to increase.'”