The change in direction you are talking about is very real. It happened on January 1, 1994, when the federal government withdrew from long-term funding for new social housing. Afterwards, in 2001, there was a turning point in affordable housing.
I am talking about so-called financially accessible housing, but my big question, in addition to the length, is about for whom the housing will be accessible. What is accessible for you may not be accessible for someone, for example, with a retirement pension or the guaranteed income supplement. What is accessible for you or me is not necessarily accessible for someone working for minimum wage.
The notions of accessibility and affordability are extremely vague. In the past, it was clear that social housing was not for profit, and low-income people would have to pay a set percentage of their revenue—for example, 25%. Now the rules are much more vague. We hope that the National Housing Strategy will put an end to that vagueness and will get back to using much more clear concepts of what housing assistance is.