Efforts to upgrade Hamilton’s social housing stock suffer a setback

Ward 5 Coun. Chad Collins says the city of Hamilton is once again “left to our own devices” as it relates to social housing upgrades.

He’s reacting to the loss of about $17 million for repairs and retrofits, as a result of the provincial government’s cancellation of the cap-and-trade program.

The money was expected to flow to the city over the next three years.

Collins notes the funding would have helped significantly in addressing a backlog of needed upgrades to Hamilton’s affordable housing stock.

He adds that most of the city’s 14,000 social housing units were built in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, and have building components that are “well past their useful lifespan.”

Ontario’s new Progressive Conservative government is scrapping cap-and-trade in an effort to reduce gas prices and home-heating bills.