Trudeau Liberals pledge $1 BILLION to buy hotels and motels in fight against homelessness

On Monday, the Trudeau Liberals announced a pledge of $1 billion dollars to cities, with the intention to buy motels and hotels and address looming homelessness. This would take place over the next 6 months, which makes it a rapid-housing project.

Previously criticized by the NDP for not addressing housing, the Liberals now say they will create 3,000 new affordable housing units across Canada. The program is available to municipalities, provinces, territories and indigenous governing areas.

Social Development Minister Ahmed Hussen emphasized the project will accept applications that seek to build housing for vulnerable groups, such as women fleeing domestic abuse, and individuals who are at risk of homelessness. He also said most of the money will be appropriated before the end of the fiscal year, and that applications will be examined quickly.

Hussen told the Canadian Press, “It's the right thing to do, but it's also the economically smart thing to do,”.

“All the costs associated with the services provided to people on the street, the criminal justice costs, the health costs, policing - all of that is way more than the cost of that project. So we have to be smart as a country to always look for more innovative solutions to house people rapidly,” stated Hussen.

This pledge is announced just two days away from the Throne Speech, where Liberals are expected to make major fiscal commitments.