Foothills MP John Barlow was listed as one of 17 Conservative parliamentarians — four of whom are Alberta MPs — that "engaged the Liberal government" by seeking federal funding through the Housing Accelerator Fund, according to a release from the Opposition Leader's Office.
The Housing Accelerator Fund is a $4-billion federal government program offering funding to Canadian municipalities looking to grow their housing supply. The initiative was launched in March 2023 and aims to build over 750,000 homes across the country over the next decade.
According to Okotoks Mayor Tanya Thorn, no municipalities in Foothills County have sought funding from the program to her knowledge.
"Okotoks doesn't qualify for it based on the parameters that are there," she explained. "We have been advocating to [federal Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Sean Fraser], not successfully so far, that there need to be some changes to how the Housing Accelerator Fund is managed... a lot of the things they're looking for communities to do, we've already done, so therefore we didn't qualify for funding because we already had all the changes in place."
She stated that if Okotoks qualified for the Housing Accelerator Fund, the Town would have applied.
Thorn added that Barlow had been copied on emails to Fraser's office regarding the fund, making him aware of the Town's concerns.
"He's an advocate for our region regardless of the topic," she said.
While no Foothills County municipalities have received funding, one in Barlow's Foothills federal electoral district — Brocket, the headquarters of the Piikani Nation — was approved for $2.3 million in funding in August, alongside numerous First Nations communities.
Barlow's office declined a request for comment and did not state which, if any, municipalities Barlow had advocated on behalf of for the Housing Accelerator Fund.
"As an MP office, we uphold the highest level of confidentiality, be it with our constituents or communities," wrote Barlow's office. "For those reasons, we will not be commenting on any requests for assistance from our office."
Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre aims to end the Housing Accelerator Fund, along with the $6-billion Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund, in favour of "less bureaucracy" and more savings for Canadians.
"A Poilievre-led government will use the money to axe the GST on new homes under $1 million, lowering purchase prices as much as $50,000 and cutting mortgage payments by almost $3,000 a year," said Poilievre's director of media relations Sebastian Skamski. "It will spark 30,000 extra homes per year, boosting paycheques for carpenters, electricians and other skilled workers."
According to a Nov. 14 report by CBC News, Poilievre has prevented Conservative MPs from seeking funding for municipalities within their constituencies through the Housing Accelerator Fund.
When asked, the Opposition Leader's Office did not confirm whether such a ban was in place.
The Opposition Leader's Office release denouncing the Housing Accelerator Fund lists 17 Conservative MPs, including Barlow: Dan Albas (Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, B.C.), Michael Barrett (Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, Ont.), Kelly Block (Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, Sask.), Frank Caputo (Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, B.C.), Adam Chambers (Simcoe North, Ont.), Michael Cooper (St. Albert—Edmonton, Alta.), Branden Leslie (Portage—Lisgar, Man.), Rob Moore (Fundy Royal, N.B.), John Nater (Perth—Wellington, Ont.), Rick Perkins (South Shore—St. Margarets, N.S.), Blake Richards (Banff—Airdrie, Alta.), Lianne Rood (Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, Ont.), Gerald Soroka (Yellowhead, Alta.), Karen Vecchio (Elgin—Middlesex—London, Ont.), Ryan Williams (Bay of Quinte, Ont.) and John Williamson (New Brunswick Southwest, N.B.).
Airdrie, Banff, St. Albert and Westlock, MPs for which were among the 17 listed, had previously applied for the Housing Accelerator Fund and, with the exception of St. Albert, have been approved for $24.8 million, $4.66 million and $1.1 million, respectively.
