Terry Sheehan is excited about the Liberal Party’s “ambitious plan” to build more housing in Canada.
The local incumbent said he plans to “redouble his efforts” to bring more housing to the new Sault Ste. Marie – Algoma riding if re-elected.
As part of the party's campaign promises, the Liberals have pledged to build upwards of 500,000 homes per year to alleviate the housing crisis in Canada – including by launching Build Canada Homes to get the federal government back into building, and providing over $25 billion in financing to prefabricated home builders, among many other proposed measures.
“What we're doing is we're taking a look at our great Canadian history, and this was done after the Second World War,” Sheehan said.
“Canada was facing a massive housing crisis, so the response today is similar.”
“We are doing a number of things with this plan that will build all sorts of houses, including tens of thousands of affordable starter homes, just like we built after the Second World War.”
The Liberals also plan to cut development charges in half for multi-residential homes – while ensuring municipalities are kept “whole” – as well as encouraging the conversion of existing buildings into affordable housing, and utilizing Canadian technology and lumber throughout the process.
“We’re also going to be using Canadian wood building our houses . . . because of this trade war, so it's very well thought out. It's going to build 500,000 homes a year, and that's very ambitious,” Sheehan said.
“It's going to provide opportunities for Canadian products to be used in these homes, and Canadian ingenuity. I'm very, very happy, because it's going to build houses and create jobs.”
Sheehan highlighted that he has announced $100 million in funding, bringing over 1,000 units to the city, since he was originally elected MP in 2015 – and he said the Liberal plan will bring even more homes to the community.
“I'm quite proud of that, and I just know (with) this plan that Mark Carney has announced, we can go even further. We can do even more housing here in Sault Ste. Marie.”
With the riding now expanded to include broader parts of the Algoma region, Sheehan said he hopes to bring housing further afield, as well.
“I've spent the last while talking with the various mayors of different communities in the Algoma district,” he said. “I want to replicate the success that we've had in Sault Ste. Marie in the other communities in the Algoma district.”
SooToday reached out Laura Mayer, the NDP candidate, and Hugh Stevenson, the Conservative candidate, to discuss their housing plans.
The Conservatives declined to comment and the NDP did not respond.
The federal election takes place April 28.