And Ontario Premier Doug Ford got some fancy donuts.
Published Apr 05, 2024 • Last updated 7 hours ago • 2 minute read
Barely a week after announcing nearly $600 million of infrastructure funding in a “new deal for Ottawa,” Premier Doug Ford was back in the capital Friday to dole out another $37.5 million for housing from the Building Faster Fund.
The money was the carrot the province awarded the city for making what Ford called “substantial progress” toward its housing goals, breaking ground on 10,313 homes last year.
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“That’s 10,313 families that are going to have a roof over their heads. I find that absolutely amazing,” Ford said in an announcement at City Hall alongside Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, city councillors and area Conservative MPPs.
“These funds can be used by the city for community development and infrastructure projects that lay the groundwork for more housing,” Ford said, alongside the obligatory oversized cheque.
“Mayor Sutcliffe, my challenge to you and to mayors across the province, is to keep building so that we can keep the dream of home ownership alive for more families.”
The government’s More Homes Built Faster Act of 2022 set a target of 1.5 million new homes in Ontario by 2031. Ottawa’s share of that is 151,000, which was the target city council committed to in March 2023.
The Building Faster Fund is a three-year, $1.2 billion pot to be doled out to municipalities that reach at least 80 per cent of their annual new housing targets. Sutcliffe said he hoped to see the premier again next year with another cheque.
The city is working with the local construction industry to find ways to streamline the approval process to get shovels in the ground faster, he said.
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“The Building Faster Fund will continue to provide incentives for us to hit our goals and support the growing demand in our rapidly growing city,” Sutcliffe said. “This will help up create the conditions for builders and community organizations to build homes faster.”
At last week’s funding announcement, Sutcliffe presented Ford with a white “Team Ottawa” t-shirt. This time, the gift was a carton of Maverick donuts.
“I’ve been told all about these,” the premier joked. “We don’t have these in Toronto. Guess what we’re having for breakfast tomorrow.”
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