Mr. Speaker, Canadians cannot wait, and the members of my riding of North Island—Powell River cannot wait, for a home.
Service providers tell stories of homeless people and those at risk of homelessness. They tell of families looking for a home to call their own, and seniors at risk of eviction or living in hotels. Single people are living four to a home in bachelor suites, and families are worried that they may lose their children because they cannot find an appropriate home.
Women are fleeing from violence, with or without children. There are businesses that cannot attract people to work for them because the new employees cannot find a place to live. There are wait-lists for affordable housing that are too long to ever catch up. There is a lack of supportive housing for people who need a foundation to build on, and municipalities are working as hard as they can with the little they have. Too many across this country of Canada cannot wait for a home any longer.
I request that the government open more funds through the national housing strategy. Just 10% of funding before the next election is not enough. This is an emergency and needs to be treated as such.