The five large urban northern mayors are calling on the province to reassess the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund and the Northern Ontario Resource Development Support Fund.
The mayor’s group, which includes North Bay’s Peter Chirico, says they’re looking to better position northern municipalities to take advantage of provincial programming related to housing developments.
“Housing projects in Northern Ontario often have tighter budgets as a result of higher development costs,” says Chirico. “Increased funding made available through the Housing Affordability Fund and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation represents a potential remedial measure.”
Sudbury, Sault Ste Marie, Timmins and Thunder Bay are also part of Northern Ontario Large Urban Mayors (NOLUM), which met Monday in the Soo.
Officials say recently released data from Statistics Canada shows NOLUM municipalities have experienced growth in the past five years.
However, they say for the full economic potential of the north to be unlocked, support from the Governments of Canada and Ontario is required to address challenges, including family physician shortages, affordable housing and the mental health and addictions crisis.
The group says increasing the housing supply, especially affordable options, represents a pressing concern that is expected to become increasingly precarious without additional support from both the federal and provincial governments.
Sean Fraser, Canada’s Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, and Paul Calandra, Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, issued a joint statement Tuesday, saying an agreement has been reached on a revised action plan from Ontario that will unlock $357 million of federal funding under the National Housing Strategy.
