Evidence of meeting #36 for Finance in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was shelters.
A video is available from Parliament.
Conservative
Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC
Did your organization receive any funds under the rapid housing initiative?
Executive Director, Women's Shelters Canada
We're not a shelter. We would not apply. We're an umbrella organization that brings together—
Conservative
Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC
That's right. Exactly.
Did any of the organizations you represent receive funds through the rapid housing initiative?
Executive Director, Women's Shelters Canada
I would think so, but there are 550 shelters across the country, so I don't know. I can't give you a definite answer.
I know the 40% has been a stumbling block, the need to contribute 40% if you're starting from scratch in terms of buying the land and building. That has been a definite challenge.
Conservative
Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC
My understanding and my experience working on this file has been that there are many private sector partners that would want to work with some of the not-for-profits that you support.
What would you recommend the Government of Canada do better to allow for private equity or for-profit corporations to assist shelters that serve at-risk women, and make amendments to the national housing strategy and the funding envelope such as the co-investment fund to see that accomplished?
Executive Director, Women's Shelters Canada
I guess I would turn that around. I would say, what can the government do to facilitate so that we can build? We know the needs that need to be built.
Rather than bringing in the private sector as the saviour here, we—
Conservative
Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC
That's not what I was referencing. It was about partnering. I want to facilitate partnerships.
Executive Director, Women's Shelters Canada
Okay. That's something that needs to be looked at. You want to make sure that it's an equitable partnership. I guess that's part of our concern, that certain private sector or different builders will go in and they don't necessarily have the background knowledge.
There is potential, for sure, and it's worth looking into, but some parameters need to be set to that.
Conservative
Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC
Thank you.
You also touched on the reaching home initiative. I come from a riding that's part suburban. I border Ed Fast's riding in Abbotsford, but I also go up into some of the most remote areas of southern British Columbia. My experience during the COVID-19 pandemic is that a lot of those remote and rural communities didn't see the same types of supports on a per capita basis that people in urban areas did. What can we do better to support at-risk women in rural communities?
Executive Director, Women's Shelters Canada
Transportation is a huge issue in the rural areas, and the shelters, for sure, are few and far between in rural areas. Did you say you're from B.C.?
Executive Director, Women's Shelters Canada
B.C. is unique in the sense that they have a whole system of safe homes that serve women in the rural and remote areas of the province, and those safe homes were covered by the federal COVID funds.
Executive Director, Women's Shelters Canada
I think transportation is another important part. As Melpa said earlier as well, it's not just looking at one thing. For rural and remote shelters and women living in these areas, transportation is key.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
Thank you both.
Sorry, Brad.
Ms. Dzerowicz, you'll be down to about three minutes now, so you get the final say.
Liberal
Julie Dzerowicz Liberal Davenport, ON
Thank you so much, Mr. Chair.
I want to thank everyone for their excellent questions.
My first question is for you, Mr. VanGorder.
Thanks for your presentation today. The amazing seniors in my riding of Davenport are working with me on a vaccine hesitancy campaign to try to ensure that they are encouraging people to get vaccinated.
Our Minister of Immigration recently announced a new pathway to permanent residency for 90,000 temporary workers. Many of them, to my understanding, may be personal care workers. How important is this program? This program would make temporary workers permanent residents. How important would this program be to your members?
Chief Operating Officer and Chief Policy Officer, Canadian Association of Retired Persons
Well, of course, the lack of appropriate numbers of staff and qualified staff in all facilities and in home care and community care situations is very important to us. One of the problems that our members are seeing is that with the attention being put on having more workers in long-term care facilities, the home care availability that people have has been much reduced.
Although we're very concerned about long-term care, only 5% to 7% of our seniors are in long-term care. The other 90% to 95% are in home care, community care. That's why, actually, CARP's number one advocacy point for this year isn't our continued concern with long-term care, but our real concern that the long-term solution is better care in the home and in their own communities for people—
Liberal
Julie Dzerowicz Liberal Davenport, ON
I'm sorry to cut you off, but I have so little time. It does lead to my next question—
Liberal
Julie Dzerowicz Liberal Davenport, ON
Oh, my goodness.
Our Canada recovery caregiving benefit gave out over $2 billion and helped hundreds of thousands of Canadians. How helpful was it to your members to have this caregiving benefit, emergency support, provided?
Chief Operating Officer and Chief Policy Officer, Canadian Association of Retired Persons
Certainly it's helpful and welcome, but more is needed. It's not enough.
Once again, this government is dealing with an issue that we've been talking about in the province for 20 years. Now they've come home to roost and we need to make up for those 20 years. The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the second best time is today. We need action today, not next year, not five years from now, but today.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Wayne Easter
No, you don't. I'm sorry. We're not quite out of time for the panel, but—