Ottawa needs to put an end to chronic uncertainty about affordable housing and commit to long-term funding for a national housing strategy, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities said Wednesday.

The group, made up of mayors and other municipal representatives, wants to see the federal, provincial and territorial governments invest $3.35 billion annually over the next 10 years into affordable housing and tackling homelessness.

That government has already committed to spending that amount but only up until spring of next year, the federation said. It would like to see the government extend the funding beyond that.

“We are deeply concerned about the upcoming expiry of all federal housing programs in March 2009,” said FCM President and Winnipeg councillor Gord Steeves. “There is no choice. The federal government must put an end to the chronic uncertainty around affordable housing in this country."

In a report released Wednesday morning in Vancouver, the federation outlines a five-pronged national housing strategy.

The report recommends creating about 20,000 new social housing units over the next 10 years.

It also suggests that each year the stock of permanent affordable housing go up by 15 per cent of the total annual housing starts .

The report calls for a reduction in the backlog of those waiting for subsidized housing by 25 per cent over the next decade through methods such as rental assistance and assisted home ownership.

The report notes that about one-third, or 220,000 units, of existing social housing units are at risk of losing their subsidies. It calls for about 20,000 of those units to be modernized and made energy efficient each year so that they remain viable as affordable housing.

Helping senior citizens and those with disabilities stay in their homes by assisting with upgrades to private homes or rental properties is another recommendation in the report. It calls for the improvement of some 10,000 homes.

The federation said it hopes the report will influence the federal, provincial and territorial housing ministers when they meet in Vancouver next month.