Yukon Premier Ranj Pillai is arguing the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund requirements won’t work for the Yukon, so he’s requesting the federal government carve out exemptions for how the territory must spend the $74.2 million it will see over ten years through the new fund.
“We do need exemptions in the Yukon,” Pillai told the legislature on Oct. 29.
“This is not going to fit for the Yukon, and that’s what we shared with the federal government.”
Pillai was prompted in question period by the Yukon Party to talk about the fund.
According to the federal web page, the federal housing infrastructure money is intended to address the “housing crisis” by speeding up building and upgrading drinking water, wastewater, stormwater and solid-waste infrastructure to support the creation of new homes and more densification.
The fund involves $6 billion in federal funding over 10 years to provinces and territories.
During a phone call with federal Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Minister Sean Fraser, Pillai raised the fund. They spoke about how some of its requirements won’t work for the North, according to Yukon government cabinet communications.
Pillai hasn’t yet formally responded to a letter received from Fraser’s office on the matter.
“The diversity of Yukoners across a large geographical footprint places unique capacity pressures to submit applications for nationally adjudicated infrastructure projects,” reads a statement to the News.
The premier is requesting a bilateral deal to ensure money flows to the territory to projects in need via the direct delivery stream.
“Merit based applications often don’t meet the same level in ranking in the north when compared to the southern counterparts,” the statement reads.
Pillai is also requesting flexibility in adhering to the renters and home buyers bill of rights.
While the principles align with work underway on the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, “it will require flexibility to ensure [Yukon Housing Corporation] housing stock can continue to be a safe choice for Yukoners as we strive to meet diverse needs,” as noted in the statement.
Lastly, Pillai wants flexibility on timelines to deliver project results.
The money will flow through the territorial Department of Community Services and will involve discussions with communities on how it gets distributed, in addition to one-off funding applications, per cabinet communications.
Pillai hopes the funds will be allocated quickly, indicating that some of them may be accessible before the start of the next fiscal year for specific applications.
Cabinet communications said two important deadlines lie ahead: finalizing and signing a bilateral deal with the feds by March 2025 and completing a more detailed work plan related to the agreement by the end of June 2025.
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com
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