The City of Kenora should be well positioned for housing funding from the province.
Last week, the province announced $1.2 billion for municipalities to build new homes.
Mayor Andrew Poirier says that includes smaller and northern communities.
“We think we’ll be able to tap into some of that ten percent, or that $120 million, and we already have projects we have identified, that we could use that money toward,” says Poirier on his return for the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference in London.
“We have very legitimate projects that are tied to housing, for infrastructure, service extension, whatever the details will hold. We’re confident that we’ll be able to access some of those funds, and we’ll be prepared to submit applications at some point in the future.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of Health has indicated that municipalities won’t have to pay more for public health services.
At the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference last week, Sylvia Jones pledged the municipal share will remain at 25 percent for Health Units.
Poirier says that’s good news.
“The announcement was welcome, because I know if it wasn’t reversed, in 2024 our additional costs would have been at least $356,000, which is a one-quarter percent increase in taxes.”
On the other hand, Poirier remains cautious because he wants to find out if the announcement will mean other programs will increase the municipal share.