44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 30, 2022 02:00PM
- Mar/30/22 2:12:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is unbelievable how tone-deaf and out of touch the Minister of Housing is when it comes to the realities the average Canadian faces. He tries to brag about how well the government's housing plan has been working over the last five years while the average housing price in the country doubled under his watch. Rents are skyrocketing with no end in sight, and a record number of Canadians are giving up on the idea of ever owning their own home. The government's first-time homebuyer shared equity program is a failure and needs to be scrapped in favour of a new approach, but here is the biggest sign of disrespect: It was recently revealed that the minister rewarded staff at the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation with $40 million in performance bonuses, when literally the single reason they exist is to make housing more affordable for everyone in Canada.
Instead of being petty and trying to suggest that anybody who questions his failed record does not care about homelessness or affordability, he should self-reflect. After all, Canadians have 40 million reasons to question his judgment.
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- Mar/30/22 2:17:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today I would like to share a wonderful story of perseverance and collaboration between the communities of Châteauguay and Kahnawake.
This joint effort, spearheaded by the regional federation of municipal housing offices in Montérégie and the Eastern Townships and by the Kahnawake band council, led to the announcement on Friday of the creation of 31 housing units, in a former motel, for homeless people or people at risk of being homeless in both communities.
This project may see the light of day thanks to our rapid housing initiative. Health partners, our government, and the Government of Quebec have supported this amazing project, which could be used as a model for addressing housing concerns across the country.
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- Mar/30/22 2:26:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have prioritized giving more Canadians access to their dream of home ownership. We are moving forward with a housing accelerator fund that would increase the housing supply across the spectrum, we are moving forward with a rent-to-own program that would turn more Canadian renters into homeowners, and we are also moving forward with a 1% tax on non-recreational property owned by foreigners. What did the party opposite do with respect to that measure? It voted against it.
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- Mar/30/22 2:46:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Conservatives have started a housing task force. Does anyone want to know why? It is because the government continues to fail Canadians when it comes to the price of homes. Here is one example. When it comes to the first-time homebuyer program, the Liberals have changed the criteria three times in the last two years. Does anyone want another example? On the shared equity mortgage program, there have only been nine applications in three years of a five-year program. They have doubled the average price of homes in Canada.
How can the minister continue to say his programs work?
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- Mar/30/22 2:47:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will just give the hon. member one example of the large national housing strategy. The Canada—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- Mar/30/22 2:47:41 p.m.
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Order. Let us quiet down a bit.
The hon. Minister of Housing has the floor.
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- Mar/30/22 2:47:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the hon. member asked which programs work. I will just give him one small example that is making a significant impact on the lives of his constituents. The Canada housing benefit is helping 35,000 households with rent in Alberta. That is a program in the national housing strategy.
However, perhaps the hon. member may speak to some of his colleagues. The member for Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry believes that we should stop investing in affordable housing through the national housing strategy and that we should stop investing in the first-time homebuyer incentive. He should speak to his caucus members who do not believe in federal investments in housing.
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- Mar/30/22 3:09:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Richmond Hill we have numerous organizations that work tirelessly to provide housing for vulnerable populations. The staff at Blue Door, an emergency housing provider in York Region, have played an instrumental role in supporting individuals experiencing homelessness in our community.
Can the minister provide an update to the House on how our government is supporting organizations such as Blue Door in their work to end pandemic homelessness?
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- Mar/30/22 3:10:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for Richmond Hill for his important question and his advocacy with respect to chronic homelessness.
We understand as a government that the pandemic has made worse existing housing challenges for Canada's most vulnerable people. That is why we introduced an investment of $2.5 billion through the rapid housing initiative to create over 10,000 new permanent affordable homes and provided $567 million to Reaching Home, so that frontline organization like the the member mentioned can fight homelessness and end chronic homelessness on the ground. On this side of the House, we are committed to ending chronic homelessness once and for all.
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