City Councillor Brian Mayes (St. Vital) has taken an unusual step by filing a formal request with Winnipeg’s Access and Privacy Office to obtain a report summarizing the first year of the federally-funded Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF).
The report, prepared by city staff, was submitted to the federal government in December 2024, ahead of the January 5, 2025, deadline. However, city staff have declined to share the document with council members, citing ongoing discussions with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) about its release.
The HAF agreement requires the city to make reports public within a year and promises that they will be released in an “open, transparent, effective and timely manner.” Despite this, city staff have deferred to federal officials on the timing of the report’s release, raising questions about accountability. Mayes, who has served on the council for more than 13 years, criticized the secrecy surrounding the program, calling it unprecedented in his experience.
Mayes outlined several concerns about the handling of the HAF initiative. In November, city staff consolidated hearings for amendments to 20-30 local area plans into a single council hearing, bypassing community committees without explanation. In December, staff presented a $12 million infrastructure spending proposal under HAF just one day before a council meeting, leaving no time for public input. Now, council members are being asked to vote on the infrastructure plan later this month without access to the progress report, which details how more than $20 million in federal funding has been used to date.
“This level of secrecy has become obsessive,” Mayes stated. “When I see the words ‘open, transparent, effective and timely,’ I think they should have meaning.”
Article 6 of the HAF agreement does not give federal bureaucrats authority to decide when council members can access reports prepared by city staff. Yet, the city appears to be withholding the document pending further discussions with CMHC. With a vote on the infrastructure plan looming, Mayes emphasized the importance of the council having access to all relevant information, particularly for a program of this scale and impact.
The city’s lack of transparency has sparked broader concerns about how it manages federal funding agreements and its commitment to public accountability.
-Winnipeg Sun
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