Achi news desk-
The federal government plans to convert several government office buildings into housing, including some in Quebec, and lease federal land, according to the budget announced Tuesday.
The Liberal government announced in its 2024 federal budget that it is earmarking $1.1 billion over 10 years to convert 50 per cent of its buildings, with proposed savings of $3.9 billion over that period.
In Montreal, the budget specifically lists the offices of the National Film Board on rue Côte-des-Lis near the Metropolitan, which will soon have 100 homes. Ottawa will also spend $4 million over two years for new housing at four sites across the country.
This includes the coveted Wellington Basin land, which has been debated for years. There will also be post offices converted to housing developments in Roxborough, Trois-Rivières and Beauharnois.
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante said on social media that she was happy to see measures to speed up access to more homes.
Housing group FRAPRU says it’s also pleased the feds have focused on it, but it’s worried all those properties will go to private developers and won’t include social or affordable homes.
“We are concerned that too many of these apartments will be given mainly to the private sector and … that is why we are a little bit deceived, if I can mention it like this, how they presented the initiatives of how they are going to distribute or use their sites to support housing construction,” she said FRAPRU Coordinator, Catherine Lussier.
CTV News also spoke with Renaud Broussard, vice-president of communications for the Institut Economique de Montréal (IEDM), who said Ottawa could have taken a page from Quebec’s 2024 budget by looking at the number of bureaucrats and trying to make government more efficient. .
“Since the Trudeau government took office, there are about 100,000 federal officials working for the federal government. When we adjust for population growth, it’s a 28 percent increase.” Broussard said.
“I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel like federal services are being delivered 28 percent better.”
The federal Liberals announced Tuesday they will cut 5,000 public service jobs over four years due to attrition.
Some other aspects of the budget that affect Quebec include more money for high-frequency trains between Quebec City and Toronto and additional contracts for the Davie Blewis Shipyard.
Quebec Finance Minister Eric Girard said he would respond to the budget Wednesday morning.
