Thank you very much, Chairperson.
And thank you to the witnesses for coming today.
I just wanted to follow up on the comments and ask some questions based on the presentation of the Co-operative Housing Federation.
First of all, I just want to agree with you that I think it's very, very concerning that we have what, potentially, is a looming disaster, with 600,000 social housing units, including cooperative housing, coming to the end of their operating agreements and funding arrangements. I've actually seen the letter that's come from the minister, because people have been raising it with me, including, certainly, co-ops and social housing facilities in my own community but also those from elsewhere across Canada. I've seen the response that's come from the minister, and all it says is that they are looking at options. It's doesn't even say whether these operating agreements will be continued. It doesn't say whether you'll be involved in it. So I think it is something we should be very concerned about, notwithstanding the fact that we don't have enough affordable housing now.
The figure I use is that about three million Canadians are in need of affordable housing. But this is housing we already have. This is housing that was funded through previous programs and arrangements, and if we lose this or we see mass evictions, because co-ops or social housing basically can't maintain the subsidies they have or the operating agreements, then we're in big trouble.
You're saying the government should study this. I guess that's fine, but I just wonder if you're actually putting forward some suggestions or a direction for addressing this. We're talking about the next few years, I believe, or even within five years. These agreements will be up, and we'll face a crisis.
Could you just respond to that in terms of what more specifically we should be ensuring we do?