City of Brampton welcomes Ontario’s 2024 Budget investments: housing, infrastructure, transit, public safety
The Voice of Canada:
2024 Budget: Building a Better Ontario was released by Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy.
The provincial budget supports residents and businesses in Brampton by investing in infrastructure to get more homes built faster, attracting better jobs and finding ways to keep costs down for families and businesses.
The province is investing $1 billion in the new Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program and quadrupling the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund to a total of $825 million to help municipalities repair and expand the critical infrastructure needed to reach their housing targets.
The province is also investing $46 million, over three years, to improve community safety in the Greater Toronto Area by supporting increased patrols and faster response times to major incidents and serious crimes.
The City highlights provincial commitments to initiatives with direct impact on Brampton:
- Bringing fast and reliable transit to downtown Mississauga and Brampton by expanding the Hazel McCallion Light Rail Transit Line, including a two‐kilometre extension and loop through to Confederation Parkway.
- Investing in correctional and courthouse facilities, to improve safety and security in aging institutions, and to help to provide access to justice in growing communities, such as the recently completed expansion of the Brampton courthouse in Peel Region.
- Moving ahead with Highway 413, a new 52‐kilometre 400‐series highway to better connect the corridor across Halton, Peel and York Regions. The highway will extend from Highway 400 in the east to the Highway 401/407 Express Toll Route (ETR) Interchange in the west and include extensions to Highway 410 and Highway 427.
- New accessible Bramalea GO Station with parking garage and bus loop to provide better access to GO Transit and Brampton Transit services. These improvements at the Bramalea GO Station will support future two‐way, all‐day GO train service along the Kitchener Line and connect more people to transit, jobs and housing across the Greater Golden Horseshoe.
Newly announced in Ontario’s 2024 Budget:
- $200 million over three years, beginning in 2024–25, for the new Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund to support new facilities and revitalize existing venues for youth and families.
- An additional $6.8 million over the next two years to enhance the Starter Company Plus program delivered through the Ontario’s Small Business Enterprise Centres (SBECs) and additional support for Ontario entrepreneurs.
- Moving forward with auto insurance reforms, with mandatory auto insurance accident benefit coverage continuing to apply to medical, rehabilitation and attendant care benefits. All other benefits would become optional providing drivers with an opportunity to lower their premiums by taking advantage of a wider range of coverage options.
- Providing municipalities with the flexibility to offer a reduced municipal property tax rate on new multi‐residential rental properties.
- A new provincial policy framework that sets out best practices for implementing a Vacant Home Tax. The framework will also encourage municipalities to set a higher Vacant Home Tax rate for foreign‐owned vacant homes.
Quotes
“The City of Brampton welcomes the province’s 2024 budget. The budget provides enhanced support for our city. With $1 billion allocated to the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program and increased funds for critical infrastructure, we are poised to make greater strides in addressing housing challenges in Brampton. We also welcome the investment in public safety. It helps neighbourhoods to remain secure and our residents to feel safe.” -Patrick Brown, Mayor, City of Brampton
