Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'll be joined today by Mark Quinlan, senior assistant deputy minister for real property. He's on his way. My apologies.
We're pleased to assist the committee in its discussion of motion M-16, which calls for the study of using surplus federal lands and buildings for services for veterans.
With nearly 1,500 buildings and properties across Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada, or PSPC, is one of the largest real property custodians in the federal government and has an important role to play in addressing the challenge of providing services for veterans.
At present, there are many surplus government buildings sitting vacant in communities across the country. A number of these vacant lands and properties have already been repurposed to help tackle the ongoing housing crisis, but potential uses go beyond housing provision.
I'd like to explain the disposal process in brief, and to highlight some of what PSPC is doing to improve outcomes. As with so many government initiatives, it comes down to efficiency of process.
Under Treasury Board policy, surplus properties that are not acquired for housing development may be circulated to federal departments, Crown corporations, provinces, municipalities and indigenous groups before being offered for sale more broadly.
Federal departments, including Veterans Affairs Canada, may express an interest in a property when it supports an identified program requirement, including initiatives undertaken in partnership with not-for-profit or community organizations. PSPC is accelerating these disposals by starting work earlier, conducting activities concurrently where possible, engaging partners early to resolve issues and streamlining the approval process to support faster risk-informed decision-making.
These measures are intended to reduce disposal timelines for housing-suitable properties and for lower-priority disposals, while continuing to meet all applicable requirements. As well, PSPC recently completed a government-wide review of approximately 11,600 federally owned properties to identify potential opportunities for housing development.
The review did not specifically identify properties for veteran initiatives, but where opportunities related to veteran housing are proposed, they may be considered through the applicable housing or disposal process.
PSPC maintains regular engagement with Veterans Affairs Canada through established national and regional forums. These forums enable departments to raise emerging requirements and explore opportunities for collaboration.
Veterans Affairs brings expertise on veteran needs and services, while PSPC provides real property expertise and administers disposal processes in accordance with the applicable legislative and policy framework. To date, Veterans Affairs has not identified any specific surplus property requirements related to veteran housing or services, but existing engagement forums are available to support future discussion as needs evolve.
The men and women who make up the Canadian Armed Forces make enormous sacrifices in the line of duty. We owe them, at a minimum, the assurance of safe, affordable housing upon their return to civilian life.
There is an opportunity to make use of Canada's surplus federal properties to directly support the immediate housing and other real property needs of our veterans. I'm proud of the essential role that PSPC plays in that effort.
I'm pleased to answer the committee's questions.