SoVote

Oct/5/23 11:39:23 a.m.
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Re: Bill C-56

Madam Speaker, as a resident of Vancouver Island who cannot afford a home here, we rent and our rent has gone up. I am not going to say for one minute that I am one of the Canadians having a hard time of it. We all know what we make as MPs. However, what happened to the Vancouver housing market started with converting homes into investment properties. I am not trying to blame everything on the previous Conservative government, so forgive me, but this did start under the Harper government with a $1-million investment fast track for getting residency in Canada. What we have is a lot of offshore money coming in to buy up million-dollar properties and leave them vacant. That began distorting our housing market in a big way, and we have seen rising home values, as we know. People will say that is all right, because if they own their own home, that is what they cash in for their savings and retirement. A lot of people in my community who own their own home want to downsize and move somewhere else, but if they sell their home, they cannot find a place to live that is affordable in their retirement once they have divested their property. It is a complicated mess that all started when we stopped treating homes as homes and started treating them as investment properties.

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Context: House Hansard - 230 - Oct/5/23

Mr. Chad Collins (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, Lib.)

Oct/5/23 1:06:43 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-56

Madam Speaker, I really appreciate the comments and advocacy for additional affordable housing resources. I served for several decades as a municipal councillor and looked to higher levels of government for increased spending. It did not come from the province for two decades, it certainly did not come from the federal government for the 26 years that I was a member of city council. It was not until this government arrived and created a national housing strategy that we have seen record investment. While I take the criticism that we can always do more, it is important to emphasize that we have made investments in municipalities across the country. We have invested a lot in Windsor-Essex through the co-investment fund. That was a $90-million investment. The rapid housing initiative was a $20-million investment. Everyone gets up and bemoans the fact that we need to do more for housing. I completely get it, but there needs to be some recognition of what the government has done with regard to making historic investments, investments we have not seen since the 1980s. I want to make sure that member is aware of the investments that we have made in Windsor-Essex and other mid- to large-sized municipalities, including rural areas across the country.

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Context: House Hansard - 230 - Oct/5/23

Mr. Denis Trudel (Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, BQ)

Oct/5/23 2:46:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have good news: Quebec will match the federal government's $900‑million investment in housing. Woo-hoo! There is just one small problem: The money cannot flow because the federal government is still trying to impose conditions on Quebec instead of reaching an agreement. This morning, the Premier of Quebec reiterated that this is urgent. He needs an agreement by next Friday so he can include the $900 million in his November 7 economic update. Will the government stop quibbling and immediately announce that it is giving Quebec its $900‑million share? This is urgent.

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Context: House Hansard - 230 - Oct/5/23

Mr. Mike Morrice

Oct/5/23 5:43:25 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-56

Mr. Speaker, I will agree with the member for Winnipeg North on this point any day of the week: We need all levels of government to step up. However, we also need to be honest. With respect to the investment the member mentioned for co-op housing, which is one that I mentioned in my speech, I am really glad. The fact is that there were zero dollars for co-op housing in budget 2023. In fact, it was not just co-op housing; there were zero new dollars for housing at all in budget 2023 if not for one line item on indigenous housing that is not going to be starting for a few years still. No level of government can take a year off from funding housing. If the Region of Waterloo did the same, it would have people lining up outside the doors. The federal government cannot either.

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