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Federal housing funding temporary relief, region says York Region received 826 mil: lion in the first two years. mostly directed toward new construc- tion. The deal gave aflordable hous- ing some breathing room to]- lowing the expiration of a prior agnement in March. The fedEral government announced this week the negoa nation of a framework with the provinces that spells out spend- ing in the final three years of its $1.9.bmion. five-year affordable housing Initiative. The region also mad money from the provincial and federal It won't solve York Region's affmdable housing woes. but a new agreement will allow proj- ects to move forward for the next three years. SHELTER: Projects moving forward over next three years BY DAVID PLBISCHUR dflnuhnayrmgrmm caused some concern and some projects could have been expeâ€" dited if the money flowed faster. Ms Patterson said. adding she was optimistic the funding would come eventually. Monday's announcement isi not new money. but rather {he promise to spend the remainder of the five-year fund announced in 2008 and rolled out in 2009. governments fat housing subsi- dies and leveraged funher investâ€" ments. including a home-owner- ship program in partnership with Habitat for Humanity. “What we‘re most hoping for is flexibility. so we can decide as a community what our needs are." regional housing director Sylvia Patterson said. our 0F UMIO [be last few months of limbo While the framework outlines general principles. the details are still to be hammered out. Bilaxv em] agreements with each pmv~ ince are to be completed later this summer. flansfer payments will then flow from Ottawa to Queen's Park; and the money then distributed according to the provincial gov- ernment’s plan. York's social housing wan list exceeds 7.600 households w more than 15.000 people â€"â€" and the three-year V program. which will be more lik‘e lwo-and-a-half by the time money starts flowing, isn't enough. Ms Patterson said. Sustainable. longâ€"Kenn fund~ ing is something York Rggion and other municipalities gay they need to advance housing pro- grams. York Region won't know its She noted the deal won't mean any new money, despite a grow- ing wait list for social housing and said depleted staff at the alli- ance‘makes it hard to even keep abreast of issues. 'lhe alliance, is non-profit and comprised of local‘ anti-poverty groups, such as Blue Door Shel- ters and the Yodn Region Food Network. “The affordable housing issue in York Region is still dire." food network executive director loan Stonehockcr said. ' In the meantime. local orgaâ€" nizations an already feeling the effects of inadequate funding. Former York Region Alliance to End Homelessness executive director lane Wedlock stepped aside in March due to a lack of reliable funding. share until then. York’s social housing wait list exceeds 7,600 households - more than'15,000 people -- and the three-year program, which will be more like two-andâ€"a- half by the time money starts flowing, isn’t enough, Ms Patterson‘ said.