Federal budget 2017: MAKING MORE FEDERAL LANDS AVAILABLE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING The Government has a unique opportunity to directly contribute to the creation of additional affordable housing and social housing. Budget 2017 proposes to invest $202 million over the next 11 years to make surplus federal lands and buildings available to housing providers at low or no cost for the development of affordable housing. This includes funding to top up the existing Surplus Federal Real Property for Homelessness Initiative in 2017–18, and a new expanded initiative starting in 2018–19, which will also provide funding for environmental remediation and for renovations or retrofits needed to ensure that the surplus federal buildings are suitable for use as housing.