The New National Housing Strategy

Access to safe, affordable housing is something that all Canadians deserve. However, for far too many of our fellow Canadians, finding a secure place to live is an ongoing challenge. Here in Burnaby and North Vancouver, we know better than anywhere else in Canada how much of a struggle it can be to balance the price of housing with the other necessary expenses in our lives. When meeting with families and individuals in our community, the topic of conversation often involves the rising costs of rents and mortgages, and the difficulty making ends meet. Clearly, this is an issue that is relevant to a huge number of people including students, seniors, young families, and many vulnerable individuals.

Our government is committed to addressing the challenge of housing affordability head-on. That is why, last week, we announced the 10-year, $40 billion National Housing Strategy (NHS). This ambitious plan is unmatched by any such effort in the last 50 years, and will have a hugely positive impact here in the hottest housing market in Canada. The NHS will provide support across the entire housing continuum – from homelessness, to supportive housing, social housing, and rental housing.

The plans targeted initiatives will lead to:

• A reduction of homelessness by 50%
• The removal of housing strains on more than 530,000 households
• The creation of 100,000 new housing units: four times more than the previous government
• The repair and renewal of more than 300,000 housing units: three times more than the previous government
• The protection of an additional 385,000 households from losing an affordable place to live

Part of this plan includes the $2 billion Canada Housing Benefit. This initiative, which will reach $4 billion with the expected Provincial Territorial contributions, will provide about $2,500 per year to each recipient household. This money, coupled with the increased Canada Child Benefit will mean genuine relief for families who are feeling the rising costs of living. Here at home, this means more money in families pockets so they can worry less about paying rent and mortgages, and instead have money to pay for everything from summer camp, school trips, new clothes for the winter, and healthy groceries.

One of the most important elements of the new National Housing Strategy is the $2.2 billion investment in a renewed Homelessness Partnering Strategy. This major step forward will give communities the power to create tailored local solutions to housing needs for the most vulnerable individuals. This funding will enhance collaborative work between governments as well as with amazing local organizations like the Burnaby Society to End Homelessness. During the meetings we hosted for our Burnaby North-Seymour Homelessness Task Force, participants from all levels of government identified a lack of adequate funding as a major barrier to real progress to end homelessness. The federal government’s commitment of $2.2 billion is in direct response to funding concerns, and its effect will cut chronic homelessness in Canada by 50% over the next ten years.

Many members of our community rely on community housing. Therefore, making sure a consistent stock of community housing is available is another major goal of the National Housing Strategy. The new Canada Community Housing Initiative will see $4.3 billion provided to provinces and territories in order to support the sustainability of community-based housing systems.
Here in the Lower Mainland, it’s not just the cost of rental housing that is skyrocketing. For many in our community, the dream of homeownership seems unattainable. The National Housing Strategy includes steps to make homeownership an achievable goal. New programs and policies are being brought in, and the government will continue to explore options. For example, we recently made changes to tax laws to address issues of speculation in condominium markets. Condo speculation has been a primary factor in growing prices of homes in recent years.

The National Housing Strategy will deliver on housing affordability in large part due to our government’s commitment to collaboration with all relevant partners. Provincial, territorial, Indigenous, and municipal governments, community housing groups and other non-profits, thinktanks, and private sector stakeholders will all be part of the ongoing conversation.
We know that to address the rising costs of housing, the federal government must be involved in a meaningful way. That is why we developed our platform for the 2015 election with a promise to take major steps to address housing affordability. The National Housing Strategy released this past week is the culmination of extensive consultation, study, and collaborative hard-work that will have an extraordinarily positive impact on housing needs for Canadians.

I look forward to discussing this issue further. As always, please feel free to reach out to my office to tell us your stories, your opinions, and your concerns. With so much goodwill and determination at the table, our new National Housing Strategy is an exciting part of our campaign to create real change in our communities.