Infrastructure money is much needed for things like transit and waste water but we have a lack

of affordable housing not only in big citys such as those mentioned in this article, smaller
communitys also have a serious problem with affordable housing. This is an issue which needs to
be addressed as a priority by all levels of Government, the longer we wait to tackle this issue, the
more we will see our citizens in need end up homeless or being at risk of becoming homeless.

Big City Mayors want to see infrastructure

timelines, affordable housing: FCM conference
This was published in the Metro on Thursday June 2nd by Stephanie Taylor

National chief of the Assembly of First Nations Perry Bellegarde says Canada's big city mayors need to
push for greater provincial and federal spending on affordable housing since half of the country's
Indigenous peoples live there
Canada's big city mayors plan to press the federal government for greater flexibility on the criteria
required to access the first phase of infrastructure funding, which includes millions alloted for transit.
Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman and Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson were among officials to address
media during the Federation of Canadian Municaplities' conference on Thursday. The FCM's Big City
Mayors Caucus met before the conference began.
Our emphasis is getting the money flowing in a timely fashion with as few strings attached as
possible," Iveson said of first phase of the Liberals' funding, which focuses on transit and waste water
upgrades.
He explained doling out the spending based on ridership numbers rather than seeing funds distributed
on a project-by-project basis is an improved formula.
Bowman said he wanted answers on how firm the criteria was that would allow Winnipeg to access
upwards of $80 million in federal funds for transit.
Earlier this week, the city's director of transit, Dave Wardrop, explained the government's cash was
meant for shovel-ready projects, scheduled to be complete by 2018.
That could exclude greater federal funding for the second phase of the southwest bus rapid transit
expansion, and spending towards building the next bus corridor, which would connect downtown to
Transcona.

Were trying to get a better handle of how rigid are these rules. Is there flexibility, and thats exactly
why these meetings are so important," Bowman said Thursday.
Iveson said hammering out details around timelines is a priority among other civic leaders, and will be
raised with federal infrastructure minister Amarjeet Sohi.
Sohi is scheduled to speak later in the day Thursday.
When it comes to how cities could spend the millions promised for the next stage of infrastructure
funding, Iveson said mayors want to see money for social housing on that list.
He underlined the importance of manitaining the country's current stock of affordable rental housing
and support the building of more.
National chief of the Assembly of First Nations, Perry Bellegarde, also appeared at the conference and
said more housing opportunities are needed in cities to support the more than half of Indigenous
peoples' who live there.
Social housing in our cities for vulnerable Canadians, especially for Indigenous Canadians, who are
overrepresented in our poverty statistics is an important reconciliation initiative, Iveson said.