"The national housing strategy released this afternoon is a breakthrough for cities and communities from coast to coast to coast. This is the kind of federal leadership that local governments have been seeking for more than 20 years.
"Municipal leaders work on the frontlines of Canada's housing crisis. We see its effects etched into the faces of parents who must choose between making rent and feeding the kids. We see it as local businesses struggle to attract talented workers. And FCM led an intensive campaign to shape a national housing strategy that will tackle this crisis at its roots.
"The federal government took our advice to focus on the fundamentals. Replacing expiring social housing rent subsidies is a breakthrough for thousands of families who fear losing their homes as long-term operating agreements wind down. Investing to repair and renew that social housing will keep more people in their homes and help secure tomorrow's supply. And getting back to investing in affordable housing construction is the breakthrough we needed to start tackling the supply crunch.
"FCM will continue to examine the national housing strategy in the coming days, and we'll naturally have outstanding issues and questions. For instance, it's not yet clear how this strategy will leverage municipal expertise in decision-making on housing development to match local needs with the best possible solutions.
"But at the end of the day, this strategy is a breakthrough for 1.7 million families who can't find a decent home they can afford. It's a breakthrough for mayors working to build more livable, inclusive, competitive cities and communities across Canada. And we look forward to working with all orders of government to unlock the incredible potential that this strategy represents.
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is the national voice of municipal government, with 2,000 members representing 90 per cent of the Canadian population.