While housing has not taken centre stage in the Canadian election, issues such as the economy and the environment have produced a lot of promises from the major political parties -- and many of the promises are designed to woo homeowners' votes. A recent survey for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation showed that Canadians are wary of election promises. By a two-to-one margin, we're more likely to believe in the existence of Bigfoot than in the validity of pledges made by politicians on the election trail.

The biggest housing news to emerge during the campaign was approved by the current Conservative government just before the election was called. On September 4, the government renewed funding for three housing and homelessness programs, pledging $387.9 million per year for five years, to March 31, 2014. The other political parties cried foul, since news of this renewal didn't emerge until after the election campaign had begun.

The programs that received renewed funding include the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program, which provides financial assistance to low-income homeowners for major and necessary home repairs to heating, structural, electrical, plumbing and fire safety systems. This program has operated since 1973.


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