Tory Government Would Freeze Infrastructure Money to Cities That Don’t Get Housing Built: Poilievre

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre holds a press conference in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Jan. 25, 2023. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

As a strategy to get more homes built in Canada, a Conservative government would link the number of infrastructure dollars cities get to the number of houses completed, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said on Friday.

“City governments that block construction will be fined with clawbacks to their federal infrastructure money, while those that get out of the way, speed up building permits, and free up land to build more will get bonuses with extra infrastructure dollars,” Poilievre said during a press conference in Vancouver.

Poilievre said housing has become more unaffordable than ever. He pointed out that the average rent has risen $2,200. That’s a 12.4 percent increase just since November last year, according to Rentals.ca.

Poilievre accused the Liberal government of “continuing to shovel billions of dollars to the government gatekeepers and city halls, like Vancouver’s, that block construction.”

The Conservative leader cited Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation data that found Vancouver City Hall only approved about 6,000 housing units in 2022. "If those numbers are true, it’s a disgrace,” Poilievre said. ”That’s why our young people are living in despair, in their parents’ basements, across the city. It’s the reason why we have record homelessness.”

The City of Vancouver did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times inquiry about housing units approved in 2022.

In response to a reporter’s question, Poilievre confirmed that his government’s clawbacks would not apply to funding commitments made under previous governments.

“Funding for future gas tax transfers and for transit projects will all be linked to getting the gatekeepers out of the way, speeding up building permits, and freeing up land to build houses across Canada,” he said.

Poilievre said his government would also require that every federally funded transit station is surrounded by high-density apartments and condos, which would negate the need for young people and seniors in the areas to own cars.

Poilievre reiterated his previously announced promise to sell off 15 percent of the 37,000 “big, ugly, empty” federal buildings. “Many of them are not even in use because people are working from home, why not sell them off and turn them into housing?” he asked.

“We’re talking about 5,000 or 6,000 buildings and other brownfield lands that are doing nothing, that could be housing for our working-class, young people across this country.”

The Conservative leader said millions more homes need to be built across Canada, “so that our young people, our working class, and our brilliant immigrants can afford to live in it.”