With Alberta’s population continuing to increase by leaps and bounds in 2024, the need for affordable housing for current and new residents also continues to grow in lockstep.
Whether enough new quality housing units can be built to meet the expanding demand remains to be seen.
What is known is that the protracted and bitter fight between the Trudeau Liberals and the Smith UCP over everything from environment protection to energy development has now expanded to include housing.
Responding to the federal government’s new nationwide affordable housing initiative, the Smith government has been quick to voice its strong opposition.
“Alberta’s government has deep concern about the federal government’s housing announcement,” says Jason Nixon, Sundre-area MLA and Smith cabinet minister.
“The government of Canada is once again bypassing provincial jurisdiction by not consulting or even notifying provinces about the new program. This is another example of the federal government’s long history of ignoring the province’s jurisdiction and playing politics with important issues like housing.”
Nixon and fellow UCP minister Ric McIver called the new federal government program a “continuation of the government of Canada’s punitive green agenda.”
For his part, the prime minister says if the Smith government is not prepared to work with the federal government on the new $55-billion housing program, other options will be considered.
“Ideally, we’d work with all provinces if they’re sufficiently ambitious on housing,” said Trudeau. “We’re there to be partners with them. If a province decides it doesn’t want to be ambitious on housing, that’s their decision. We will work with the municipalities within that province that are ambitious.”
The federal program would “provide low-cost loans, help speed up development and build projects of the scale necessary to meet the urgent needs of Canadians,” he said.
There is a growing and pressing need for affordable housing in this district and across the province. Yet, is hoping that the Trudeau Liberals and the Smith UCP can work together on anything, including housing, anything but wishful thinking these days?
Dan Singleton is an editor with the Albertan.
