Hon. Patti LaBoucane-Benson (Legislative Deputy to the Government Representative in the Senate): Honourable senators, I have the honour to table the answers to the following oral questions:

Response to the oral question asked in the Senate on June 1, 2022, by the Honourable Senator Moodie, concerning the National Housing Strategy — Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Response to the oral question asked in the Senate on June 1, 2022, by the Honourable Senator Moodie, concerning the National Housing Strategy — Employment and Social Development Canada.

Response to the oral question asked in the Senate on June 1, 2022, by the Honourable Senator Moodie, concerning the National Housing Strategy — Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

Response to the oral question asked in the Senate on February 8, 2023, by the Honourable Senator Omidvar, concerning the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Rosemary Moodie on June 1, 2022)

In Canada, eviction and rent control regulations fall under provincial and territorial jurisdiction, and therefore the National Housing Strategy (NHS) does not have specific eviction targets.

A foundational principle of the NHS is to address the housing needs of the most vulnerable, including those experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The NHS commits to reducing chronic homelessness by 50% by 2027-28, a target that is supported by Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy. Furthermore, a minimum 25% of NHS investments will support the unique needs of women and their children. As of December 31, 2021, an estimated $7.1 billion has been committed toward meeting the housing needs of this group. This represents over 28% of all NHS funding committed.

The complementary initiatives of the NHS address needs across the housing continuum, including for the most vulnerable Canadians. This includes direct affordability support to low-income households through the Canada Housing Benefit (CHB) and rental assistance for low-income households living in community housing. The NHS also includes programs to increase the supply of affordable housing such as the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) which quickly builds permanent affordable housing units to address the urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Rosemary Moodie on June 1, 2022)

The Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS), a horizontal Government of Canada initiative led by ESDC in collaboration with 11 other federal departments, agencies and Crown corporations, helps young people (ages 15-30) develop their skills and transition into the labour market.

The Housing Internship Initiative for Indigenous Youth, a YESS program delivered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, served over 330 Indigenous youth in 2021, providing housing-related internships, work experiences and on-the-job training.

Currently, one of the performance indicators for the YESS is the percentage of youth served from each of the following groups who are facing barriers to employment: Indigenous youth, youth with disabilities, and visible minority youth. Starting in 2023-24, YESS programs will begin to improve data disaggregation of under-represented youth being served and the socio-economic barriers they may face.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Rosemary Moodie on June 1, 2022)

Statistics Canada produces the Market Basket Measure (MBM), which establishes poverty thresholds that can be used to report on progress against some of the federal government’s social policy objectives. The MBM provides contextual information by shedding light on the characteristics of economically challenged populations who may be at risk of evictions and homelessness. Poverty reduction targets are set by Employment and Social Development Canada.

The MBM thresholds are based on the cost of a basket of goods and services, which represents a modest, basic standard of living for a reference family. Those with incomes less than their applicable thresholds, given family size and region of residence, are deemed to be in poverty. To account for potential regional differences in the cost of living, Statistics Canada publishes MBM thresholds for 53 regions across Canada (https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1110006601).

The thresholds are updated yearly to take into account inflation. To account for changes regarding what represents a modest, basic standard of living over time, the Poverty Reduction Act mandates that Statistics Canada undertake a review of the MBM basket and methods every five years.

Statistics Canada completed the most recent adjustments to poverty measurement in 2020 and will be launching the next review in 2023.

(Response to question raised by the Honourable Ratna Omidvar on February 8, 2023)

Canada allocated $50 million in response to the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria of which $20 million was allocated to two matching funds. Matching funds are useful public engagement tools following disasters. The choice of partner is dependent on a number of factors, including local capacity and operational footprint in affected areas.

As the immediate needs of communities affected by the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria became clear, the Government of Canada committed to match donations made to both the Canadian Red Cross and the Humanitarian Coalition.

On February 7, 2023, a matching fund of $10 million with the Canadian Red Cross was announced. This funding supports efforts of the Turkish Red Crescent.

On February 24, 2023, the Government of Canada announced it would also match $10 million in donations raised by the Humanitarian Coalition and its members to support efforts in Syria. The Humanitarian Coalition brings together twelve trusted Canadian humanitarian organizations.

An additional $30 million is supporting expanded operations largely by United Nations partners selected based on proven ability to rapidly scale-up and adapt operations to meet emergency needs.

Hon. Patti LaBoucane-Benson (Legislative Deputy to the Government Representative in the Senate), pursuant to notice of May 17, 2023, moved:

That, when the Senate next adjourns after the adoption of this motion, it do stand adjourned until Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at 2 p.m.