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| For Immediate Release TORONTO – Yesterday Dalton McGuinty admitted that holding the funding for affordable housing hostage to score political points is wrong, despite the fact that he has done just that for months said Ernie Hardeman Oxford MPP and Progressive Conservative Critic for Municipal Affairs and Housing “A true leader doesn’t hold money hostage from the people who need it just to score some political points,” said Hardeman. “The fact that McGuinty is now admitting he was wrong doesn’t make it right for the families who have waited that much longer for an affordable place to live.” The Federal government transferred $392 million to the provincial government for affordable housing. However the Provincial government locked the money in a trust account for months while they argued with the federal government over other funding they feel they are owed. After months of protests and questioning by affordable housing providers, municipalities and the opposition Dalton McGuinty admitted yesterday that it was “unfair to allow people in need of adequate housing to have their needs go unmet because two governments are engaged in an argument.” “Dalton McGuinty is still playing games with funding for affordable housing – after holding nearly $400 million hostage for months McGuinty announced that he was releasing it, but he doesn’t know when the money will flow,” said Hardeman “The people who need affordable housing in Ontario are no better off today than they were last week.” During the 2003 election campaign the Liberals promised to build 20,000 affordable housing units. Three years later they have reached just 15% of that target. “In spite of their claims the delay on delivering affordable housing has not been the federal government, the delay has been that the McGuinty government chose to hold this money hostage,” said Hardeman. “Dalton McGuinty had the ability to say winter is coming we need to move on affordable housing, instead he chose to play political games. Now at the end of February he finally admits that was wrong.” - 30 -
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