NDP housing critic Jenny Kwan said it was disappointing that the fund wasn’t getting rolled out sooner.
“It was disappointing even last year,” she told iPolitics on Wednesday. “It’s slow as molasses. Per usual, the Liberals always make promises and then they are always short on delivery. In the meantime, we’ve got a housing crisis.”
Kwan said the government needs to learn from the rapid housing initiative — another program aimed at boosting the housing supply — to ensure funding gets to municipalities and projects as quickly as possible. She also suggested that the HAF needs to be stackable with other housing programs and funding to ensure projects move forward.
Kwan said she would also like to see more focus on affordable housing and setting targets to help those who really need a home.