Ontario Government Helping Build More Homes in Niagara’s Town of Lincoln

Regional Municipality of Niagara and Town of Lincoln Receiving Over $22 Million in Water Infrastructure Funding to Enable Construction of 4,462 New Homes

News from the Constituency Office of Ford Government Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff

Posted September 23rd, 2024 on Niagara At Large

A Brief Foreword Comment  from Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper – Okay, so how about some funding from the Ford government and from Justin Trudeau’s federal government (let’s not leave the federal government out of this) for affordable housing?

You can bet that the cost of housing on this old Prudhomme’s site with a nice view of the lake is going to be out of reach for many.

When all three levels of government- federal, provincial and municipal – use our tax dollars to provide funding or incentives for building housing, it is hardly ever for affordable housing. It is for housing, including vanity homes and condos, priced at whatever the market will bear.

And if you can’t afford that, well then maybe you can just go on living in your parents’ basement or buy yourself a tent.

By the way, at a time when existing homeowners, including residents living on low or fixed incomes, are already being hammered with increases in municipal property taxes well above the rate of inflation, Niagara’s regional council will looking, as soon as a council meeting scheduled for this coming Thursday, September 26th at 6:30 p.m.,  at approving even more lucrative incentives for developers and homebuilders . 

Want to make any bets on how a vote on that will go?

• Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

Now here is the News Release from the constituency office of Ford Conservative MPP Sam Oosterhoff-

VINELAND STATION – The Ontario government is investing $22,293,037 to enable the construction of new homes in the Town of Lincoln.  The funding is being delivered through the first round of investments under the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, which includes $970 million to help municipalities develop, repair, rehabilitate and expand drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure.

This funding will support the Prudhomme’s Landing development site in Vineland Sation.  This project will enable the construction of 4,462 new homes in the Town of Lincoln, supporting the goal of the province to get more homes built faster to support growing communities.

“Our government is giving municipalities the tools they need to build more homes faster and tackle the affordability crisis that is pricing too many people, especially young families and newcomers, out of the dream of homeownership,” said Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West

“In partnership with municipalities, Ontario will continue working hard to unlock housing opportunities and support growing communities, including well-planned projects like the Prudhomme’s Landing development site in Vineland Station in the Town of Lincoln.”

“On behalf of Regional Council, we are pleased to see the Ontario government’s continued investment in Niagara through the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund,” said Jim Bradley, Chair of the Regional Municipality of Niagara.

“This significant investment of more than $22 million in the Town of Lincoln will ensure vital infrastructure is in place to support the Prudhomme’s Landing development site and construction of more than 4,400 new homes.  It is through partnerships like these that we can meet the needs of our growing communities and deliver on the shared goal of getting more homes built faster.”

“Reliable water infrastructure is essential to the safety, well-being and growth of our community and this significant funding from the Province of Ontario is crucial in helping us achieve these goals,” said Sandra Easton, Mayor of the Town of Lincoln.

“We are grateful for the support from the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, which allows us to move forward with these essential upgrades.  These improvements not only meet today’s needs but also support Lincoln’s future growth, as outlined in the Prudhomme’s Secondary Plan.”

“The Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund program is vital for delivering the essential infrastructure that underpins sustainable development and community growth,” said Michael Kirkopoulos, Chief Administrative Officer of the Town of Lincoln.

“This substantial funding, secured through significant advocacy efforts, enables us to effectively meet the expanding needs of our residents and businesses.”

The government is also allocating an additional $250 million and accepting a second round of applications through the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund, bringing the province’s total investment in the fund to $1.2 billion.

“By investing in drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities and connecting pipes to land, we are helping municipalities like the Town of Lincoln build more homes,” said Hon. Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure.

“Homes cannot be built without connections to drinking water and wastewater.”

In this year’s budget, Ontario announced more than $1.8 billion in housing-enabling infrastructure funding through the $825 million Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund and the $1 billion Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program, in addition to funding announced previously through the province’s Building Faster Fund.

MPP Oosterhoff was joined at the funding announcement today by Amarjot Sandhu, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Infrastructure.

“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is working to make the dream of homeownership a reality across our province,” said MPP Sandhu.

“Together with our municipal partners we are getting the job done!”

“Water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure are incredibly important parts of ensuring the homes that are required in Ontario have the services in place that are required,” said Regional Councillor, Rob Foster.

“The Prudhomme’s development site has been an active file for the Town of Lincoln as long as I have been involved as a councillor, and this funding will certainly pave the way to ensuring top quality infrastructure for this important Lincoln and Niagara project.”

In response to the significant demand for investments in water and wastewater infrastructure to enable the construction of more homes, and after consulting with municipalities, the province is transferring $275 million from the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program to the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund in order to meet this demand.

In addition, the $120 million from the Building Faster Fund that was reserved for small, rural and northern communities is being flowed to these communities through the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund.

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