Federal budget: Liberals plan to convert some Montreal office buildings into housing
The federal government plans to convert some government office buildings into housing, including some in Quebec, and to leasing 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 the same period of time.
In Montreal, the budget specifically lists the National Film Board offices on Côte-de-Liesse Road near the Metropolitan, which will soon have 100 homes. Ottawa will also be spending $4 million over two years for new housing at four sites across the country.
- From housing initiatives to a disability benefit, how the federal budget impacts you
- Liberals aim to hit the brakes on car theft with new criminal offences
That includes the much sought-after land of the Wellington Basin, which has been discussed for years. There will also be post offices converted into housing developments in Roxboro, 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 focused on this, but it worries all these properties will be going to private developers and won't include social or affordable homes.
"We are preoccupied that too many of these apartments are going to be mostly given to the private sector and … that's why we are a bit deceived, if I can mention it like this, at how they presented the initiatives of how they're going to distribute or use their own sites to support the construction of housing," said FRAPRU coordinator Catherine Lussier.
CTV News also spoke to Renaud Brossard, vice-president of communications for the Institut Economique de Montréal (IEDM), who said Ottawa could have taken a page out of 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's about 100,000 federal bureaucrats that work for the federal government. When we adjust for population growth, that's a 28-per cent increase." said Brossard.
"I don't know about you, but I don't feel like federal services are delivered 28 per cent better."
The federal Liberals announced Tuesday it would cut 5,000 public service jobs over four years through attrition.
Some other aspects of the budget that affect Quebec include more money for high-frequency rail between Quebec City and Toronto and more contracts for the Davie Shipyard in Lévis.
Quebec Finance Minister Éric Girard said he will react to the budget Wednesday morning.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Family of toddler found dead at small-town Ont. daycare no closer to answers after year of investigation
A year has passed since two-year-old Vienna Irwin was found on the property of a home-based daycare in small-town Ontario, but her family says they are no closer to answers of what happened that day.
Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dead at 30
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
Humboldt Broncos crash victims and families react to decision to deport truck driver
The family of one of the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash in 2018 says they are 'thankful' for a decision by a Calgary immigration board to deport the driver of the truck involved.
Fatal plane crash reported near Squamish, B.C.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has confirmed it is working with local Mounties and the BC Coroners Service after a plane crash near Squamish, B.C. Friday night.
'God forgives but we don’t': Loud outburst from stabbing victim’s family during sentencing hearing
An emotional outburst in a London, Ont. courtroom Friday disrupted the sentencing hearing of a woman who pleaded guilty for her part in the death of 29-year-old Mohammed Abdallah.
Three dead after vehicle plunged down a 100-foot embankment in Shediac, N.B.
Three people have died after a vehicle veered off the road in Shediac N.B., Friday morning.
Appeal denied for Edmonton soldier accused of trying to kill her 3 children
An Edmonton woman found guilty of trying to kill her three children has been denied an appeal.