by Lorraine Carpenter, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante has praised the federal budget, which was presented in the House of Commons in Ottawa by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Tuesday.

Plante specifically lauded the budget’s measures regarding social and affordable housing.

“I welcome the Government of Canada’s budget, which contains strong measures to promote rapid access to social and affordable housing,” Plante says. “Montreal will continue to make its voice heard with other levels of government and work with them to defend the priorities of the metropolitan region: building more housing, ensuring the city’s resilience and improving the quality of life.”

Budget 2024 includes the $6-billion Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund, which aims to accelerate the construction of the infrastructure needed to build more homes. This fund includes $1-billion for urgent pre-construction infrastructure needs, including water and sewer systems, as well as $5-billion for provinces and territories with “ambitious” housing plans, to support long-term infrastructure priorities.