Prince Edward County is taking aim at inequalities in how funding applications from rural communities are handled by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
During Tuesday’s council meeting, Councillor Phil St-Jean put forward a motion saying that the CMHC’s policies unfairly disadvantage rural communities, and outlined steps the county can take to address this.
In his resolution, Councillor St-Jean notes that the CMHC only uses its own data to determine median and average rental costs, which is only collected yearly and only includes privately-owned structures with three or more units, which he says doesn’t provide an accurate picture of the local rental market.
The motion calls for the county to urge the CMHC to amend its policies to allow locally-sourced data to be considered. It also invites the CMHC to have a representative attend the upcoming April 8 council meeting to discuss the issue.
The motion also called for Mayor Steve Ferguson to write a letter of support for the resolution, to be sent to the president and CEO of the CMHC, Coleen Volk. The letter will also be sent to Bay of Quinte MP Ryan Williams, Bay of Quinte MPP Tyler Alsopp, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities of Canada Nathaniel Erksine-Smith, and Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Paul Calandra.
The motion passed with minimal debate.
