44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 16, 2024 10:00AM
- Apr/16/24 2:22:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in this budget, like all others, we will take into account the economic context as well as the needs of Canadians. That means, for millennials and gen Z as well, we will unlock supply in housing, we will ensure there are supports for renters and we will make sure there is a national school food program. On this side of the House, we will make sure we do that while maintaining a strong fiscal position, AAA credit rating and the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7.
Slogans do not make good policy.
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- Apr/16/24 2:26:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when it comes to housing, Quebeckers have been cheated by this government since 2019. We represent 22% of the population, yet have received only 14% of the funding and 6% of the affordable housing. Despite all this, the housing minister is giving lessons today. He told the press that, in his opinion, the government is acting in good faith and it is the provinces that should agree to do things differently. It is the federal government that needs to do things differently. It needs to stop shortchanging Quebeckers.
Is the government going to give us our fair share in housing immediately instead of lecturing everyone and playing sorcerer's apprentice with our—
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- Apr/16/24 2:26:54 p.m.
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The hon. Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.
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- Apr/16/24 2:27:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is not up to the Bloc Québécois to define Quebec's housing policy. We have a good relationship with our counterparts in the province of Quebec to build housing. For example, we are investing to build 8,000 affordable housing units. Looking at the program as a whole, it is clear that we are making sure Quebec gets its fair share. We are continuing our work to build homes in Quebec and across the country.
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- Apr/16/24 2:38:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my esteemed colleague is putting “homes” and “Leader of the Opposition” in the same sentence.
What it means, when we put the two together, is six affordable housing units built across the country during the entire term when the Leader of the Opposition, who is also the leader of insults, was the housing minister.
In my colleague's riding alone, looking at the Amarrage project as just one example, 12 affordable housing units have been built, along with many other projects, which is twice as many as the Conservative leader built across the country during his entire term.
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- Apr/16/24 2:49:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, under the Liberals' watch, life has only gotten better for big money developers, and they are raking it in while rents double for Canadians.
Why are the Liberals refusing to take on corporate developers and failing to build non-market affordable housing now?
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- Apr/16/24 2:50:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have great respect for the hon. member and thank him for his advocacy on building more homes in Hamilton, but he may not be aware that we recently invested $93.5 million in his city to help speed up the construction of up to 9,000 new homes. In addition, we are putting money on the table that is going to help speed up the development.
If the member's concern is about building non-market housing, I am pleased to point to the billion dollars we invested, in the fall economic statement, to build more affordable housing, the hundreds of millions we are using to build more co-operative housing and the $4 billion we are using to deal with the needs of urban, rural and northern communities to serve indigenous peoples. We are going to build housing for the most vulnerable. We are going to build housing for everyone.
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- Apr/16/24 2:50:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, indigenous people in Winnipeg make up nearly 75% of the unhoused population. Almost 90% are sleeping outdoors or living in encampments. The Liberals' inadequate response is costing lives, and the Conservative leader cut 8,000 affordable units when he was the minister in charge. It is clearly not a Conservative priority.
In today's budget, will the Liberals commit to increasing funding for affordable housing, with rent geared to income, and get serious about ending homelessness?
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- Apr/16/24 2:51:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her concern. She is right to point out the desperate need of so many communities across the country when it comes to building more affordable housing. She is right to point out the need for increased investment to support the needs of indigenous people who remain unhoused. That is why we put more than $4 billion on the table to support the needs of indigenous peoples in communities and an additional $4.3 billion to deal with the needs of indigenous peoples who live in urban, rural and northern environments. On top of that, we have invested more than $120 million to build thousands of homes in the member's city. We are going to keep doing what we need to do to build more affordable housing.
I have one point of correction: It was 800,000 units that the opposition leader lost while he was housing minister.
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- Apr/16/24 2:56:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when the Conservative leader was the minister responsible for housing, he built six affordable housing units across the entire country during his entire term.
Municipalities in Quebec are building 8,000 housing units with the help of the Canadian government. If we divide the 8,000 housing units by six, it amounts to about 1,200 times more. Nevertheless, the Conservative leader insults Quebec's municipalities by calling them incompetent.
Who is incompetent, the Conservative leader with six units or Quebec municipalities with 8,000 units?
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- Apr/16/24 3:12:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, seniors are being kicked out of their homes because assisted living is now fodder for greedy developers and private equity firms. Ninety year olds are being put on the street so that super-rich CEOs can make a buck.
The Liberals and the Conservatives let developers buy up affordable housing and now they are letting them go after long-term care. A family whose father was kicked out of his home called this a death sentence.
Will the government stop this in its tracks and use the budget to end greedy CEOs from evicting vulnerable seniors?
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- Apr/16/24 3:12:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as we move down a path of increasing investments to build more affordable housing, we have to acknowledge the very real challenge that exists when affordable housing that is already in communities is snapped up for the purpose of renovicting those who live in it. That is why we are moving forward with a Canadian first, a new acquisition fund that is going to help non-profits buy up existing low-cost rentals so they can keep them affordable in perpetuity. This is a new direction that is going to help many thousands of Canadians not just find a place to call home, but to keep a place to call home that they can actually afford.
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- Apr/16/24 4:05:18 p.m.
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In a country with winters as long and as cold as ours, we are scaling up innovative construction techniques, like modular housing, to build homes year-round. Modular housing makes Canadian homes less expensive and the Canadian economy more productive. To support all this new housing, we are investing in the infrastructure communities need to grow and increasing the number of construction workers, by creating opportunities for apprentices and recognizing foreign credentials.
We are making it easier for Canadian homeowners to add a basement suite or a laneway house so that middle-class Canadians can be part of the housing solution too. Our work to build more homes faster across our country is quite literally an exercise in nation building. It is a true team Canada effort.
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- Apr/16/24 4:07:10 p.m.
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Together, we are putting into action a plan to build nearly four million homes by 2031 and to unlock the door to the middle class for more young Canadians.
While we work urgently to increase the supply of housing, our government is taking action to bring relief to Canadians—especially younger Canadians—by making it more affordable to rent or to buy a new home. This starts with better protecting renters from steep rent increases and renovictions. It also means making sure they get credit for their on-time rental payments—so they are in a better position to qualify for a mortgage, maybe even at a lower rate, when the time comes to buy their first home.
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