Good morning. My name is Nathalie Rech and I am the Coordinator for Réseau SOLIDARITÉ Itinérance du Québec. This is the third time we have appeared before the Standing Committee on Finance. I would therefore like to thank the members of Parliament and the staff of the Standing Committee on Finance for having given us an opportunity to speak to you about homelessness.
The Réseau SOLIDARITÉ Itinérance du Québec represents 200 organizations in Quebec. These organizations work on a daily basis with people who are homeless and people who are at risk of becoming homeless in a dozen regions in Quebec. Our mandate is highly political, whether that be at the federal or provincial level. I would like to point out that our role is truly that of an advocate for the homeless and we carry out that role by drawing on expertise that exists in all the regions.
I wanted to begin my remarks by reading you a few lines, in English. This is an extract from the preliminary recommendations made by the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Housing, who came to Canada on an observation mission less than two months ago:
Everywhere that I visited in Canada, I met people who are homeless and living in adequate and insecure housing conditions. On this mission I heard of hundreds of people who have died, as a direct result of Canada’s nation-wide housing crisis. In its most recent periodic review of Canada’s compliance with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the United Nations used strong language to label housing and homelessness and inadequate housing as a “national emergency”. Everything that I witnessed on this mission confirms the deep and devastating impact of this national crisis on the lives of women, youth, children and men. Canada has ratified numerous international human rights instruments that not only recognize the right to housing, but also create an obligation on the Government to take steps for the progressive realization of these human rights with the maximum of its available resources.
I think that gives a good picture of the situation. Our work is being done at a time when there is an enormous budget surplus. We are talking about a $13.8 billion surplus for this fiscal year and a cumulative $100,000 billion for the past ten years.
We have three recommendations. The first is that the federal government extend investments in the fight against homelessness. There is currently a program called the Homelessness Partnership Initiative which ends in March 2009. An extension of the federal government's investments means a commitment of at least five years by the federal government.
The second recommendation is that the government establish a national housing program. Canada has no longer been investing in new social housing units for more than 13 years. We feel that it is absolutely necessary to be ahead of the homelessness issue. This implies not simply working with people who live on the streets but also building housing for low income individuals. If we increase the social housing stock we will prevent many people from ending up on the streets of Canada and freezing to death.
The third recommendation is that the government undertake extensive review of the tax system so that all sectors of the population are treated fairly. The current tax system puts the poorest Canadians at a disadvantage.
I would like to go back to be the federal homelessness program.
How much time do I have left?