Moncton to get $1.2M in additional federal funding to boost housing supply
CBC
Moncton is getting an additional $1.2 million in federal housing funding.
It's money on top of $15.3 million previously announced to boost the city's housing supply.
The new funding, through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's Housing Accelerator Fund, is expected to be used for grants, studies and planning department staff.
Councillors reviewed the plan at a committee meeting Monday with final approval expected at a council meeting June 3.
Josh Davies, Moncton's manager of long-range policy planning, said the funding came after the city showed success with another housing initiative.
Some of the funding will replenish grant programs launched with the initial funding.
"The grant programs have been very strong," Davies told reporters.
One of the grant programs offered $10,000 to homeowners building an accessory dwelling unit, such as a garden home. The funds for that program had been spent within the first year. The new money will allow for 26 more grants.
Some of the additional funding would also go toward a grant program providing $20,000 per unit for non-profit housing as the initial amount is nearly all spent. The additional money would allow for nine more grants.
Other funding would cover studies the city is carrying out, including plans for areas that have yet to be developed in the city. The studies could look at transportation and utility servicing, zoning and land for public purposes.
Another study expected to start next year would examine how heritage buildings could be repurposed to increase the housing supply.
Davies said the study would look at larger heritage buildings, including some currently used for commercial space, that could be renovated to add more housing units.
"Not to say we're going to turn them all into small apartments," Davies said. "But where can we find wins? And what type of buildings may be more appropriate for conversion? Which ones not so much?"
He said the goal is to preserve what gives the property heritage value.
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