Despite what Mayor Gregor Robertson says to the contrary, the federal government has a national program committed to social and affordable housing, according to a federal cabinet minister from British Columbia.

Stockwell Day, the minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway, said the federal government has invested $2 billion into social and affordable housing in this year's budget.

Another $2 billion is earmarked for municipalities to assist with financing projects such as the Woodward's development in the Downtown Eastside, where the government invested $20 million.

"We do have a national federal social housing and affordable housing policy," Day told the Courier Friday after speaking at a press conference to officially open more than 200 affordable housing units at Woodward's.

Day attended the event on behalf of Diane Finley, who is the federal minister responsible for housing. Robertson was out of town on business and didn't attend.

Earlier in the week, at another press conference where funding was announced for eight social housing sites in the city, the mayor criticized the federal government for inaction on housing.

Since Robertson became mayor in 2008, he has repeatedly pointed out that Canada is the only G8 country that doesn't have a national housing strategy.

"It would be good to see some partnership come from the federal government, as well," said Robertson at the press conference, where the provincial government and Streetohome Foundation announced $225 million for the eight social housing buildings. "Hopefully we see more efforts coming from the federal government to match the efforts that we're putting in place here locally with the province and the private sector."

Day noted that Vancouver has received at least $35 million in funding for affordable housing within the past two years. He didn't specify the projects.

"I've announced affordable housing projects all over the city of Vancouver," he said.

The Courier attended a press conference in October 2009 at Steeves Manor on the West Side where Day and Premier Gordon Campbell announced a federal-provincial agreement worth $177 million to renovate and retrofit the manor and 100 social housing buildings in B.C. over the next two years.

"Taxpayers are very heavily invested in affordable housing here and it will continue," said Day, who declined to comment on Robertson's criticism of the federal government's housing policy. "I never comment on other people's comments. I'm responsible for my own."

Provincial Housing Minister Rich Coleman said the relationship the province has with the federal government is working well for developing housing.

"People tend to be critical of the federal government and say they should come up with something," Coleman said. "I have actually no problem with them at all. They've been great partners for us."

Coleman pointed out a little known fact that the Little Mountain public housing project slated for redevelopment was once owned by the federal government.

"It didn't cost us anything," he said of the federal government turning the land over to the provincial government in 2005.

Plans for Little Mountain are to replace the 224 subsidized units as part of a large mixed-use development. Half of the proceeds of the redevelopment will be used to build social housing in Vancouver. The other half will go toward construction of social housing elsewhere in B.C.

mhowell@vancourier.com