Senator Martin: The NDP-Liberal government says it expects to provide an update on how this funding will be allocated sometime over the summer.

Leader, does your government have a timeline to begin construction on these new shelters and transition housing? Does the Trudeau government commit to having any of these shelters up and running, and serving communities, this year?

Hon. Yonah Martin (Deputy Leader of the Opposition): Honourable senators, my question is for the government leader in the Senate. General Wayne Eyre, the Chief of the Defence Staff, recently said the cost of living and challenges in finding affordable accommodations are the top issues he is hearing from Canadian Forces members around the country. The lack of available housing in British Columbia has gotten so bad that last month Royal Canadian Air Force members at CFB Comox on Vancouver Island were told to consider contacting Habitat for Humanity if they were having significant difficulty finding adequate housing.

Leader, Habitat for Humanity has helped thousands of Canadian families in need, but it’s the Government of Canada’s responsibility to support our military families. Why were they referred to a charity to find housing?

Senator Martin: With respect to the shortage of military housing available to Canadian Forces members, General Eyre recently stated:

. . . we’re somewhere in the neighbourhood of 4,000 to 6,000 units short on our bases, which is also accentuating the housing problem.

Leader, your government says it will spend $55 million on residential housing for Canadian Armed Forces members this fiscal year. Committing funding is one thing, but getting shovels into the ground is another. How many new homes for military families will this funding support, and when are they expected to be built?