Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is telling Alberta and other provinces to take or leave hundreds of millions of dollars aimed at accelerating the construction of new housing across the country.Trudeau was in Calgary on Friday to announce billions in new housing funding aimed at alleviating shortages and addressing affordability ahead of the April 16 budget.Amid criticism that the federal government is overstepping its authority by making funding arrangements directly with municipalities — which are directly governed by regional governments — Trudeau accused naysayers of not being ‘team players’.”We’re changing the way housing is built right across a city — densification better zoning, more rapid permitting better use of public land. These are things that municipalities have direct responsibility for,” he said. .“And we're also encouraging provinces to do that as what we're doing around building housing, housing, enabling infrastructure. We will be there with billions of dollars for provinces if they remain ambitious about solving the housing challenges. If they don't want to build more housing if they don't want to solve this housing price crisis, then they don't have to take our money.”.It wasn’t immediately clear if the UCP government is prepared to take him up on the offer. Jason Nixon, Alberta's Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services, was scheduled to respond to Trudeau at a press conference of his own this afternoon. Western Standard will publish his remarks when they are delivered..Earlier this week Nixon balked at some of the conditions attached to municipal funding for infrastructure items such as sewers and water systems.Nixon said it was yet another example of federal overreach and tying the funds to political pet projects like climate change."This is another example of the federal government's long history of ignoring the province's jurisdiction and playing politics with important issues like housing," he said in a statement Wednesday..Trudeau was in Calgary to tour a modular construction plant that claims it can shorten the time it takes to build a new house by half. In addition to building cash, he is offering ‘innovation’ grants, design grants for pre-approved blue prints and goodies to municipalities who make zoning changes to increase density and modify land use bylaws.In all, $600 million is on the table — on top of the billions in announcements he’s made almost every day this week in cities like Montreal and Winnipeg.He and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland have been on a marketing blitz ahead of the budget address to pitch billions in new spending across the country.In his remarks, Trudeau said his government would spearhead the biggest house construction effort since the Second World War. And he balked at suggestions the Ottawa is sidestepping uncooperative provincial governments.“We are there to work in partnership with any province who wants to show leadership and their vision in how we're going to work together to solve the housing crisis. We are there to work with everyone. That's what a Team Canada approach on solving the housing crisis is all about.”
