Human Resources Committee on Nov. 5th, 2009

Evidence of meeting #55 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was affordable.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Bill C-304, An Act to ensure secure, adequate, accessible and affordable housing for Canadians

Committee Business

MPs speaking

Also speaking

David Eddy President, Canadian Housing and Renewal Association

Geoffrey Gillard Acting Executive Director, Canadian Housing and Renewal Association

Dewey Smith Senior Policy Advisor-Housing, Housing and Infrastructure Directorate, Assembly of First Nations

Don Hutchinson Vice-President and General Legal Counsel, Evangelical Fellowship of Canada

Julia Beazley Coordinator, Evangelical Fellowship of Canada

David Lyman Representative, Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations

Joshua Bates Policy Advisor, Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Michael Shapcott Director, Affordable Housing and Social Innovation, Wellesley Institute

Michael Buda Director, Policy and Research, Federation of Canadian Municipalities

5:40 p.m.

Director, Affordable Housing and Social Innovation, Wellesley Institute

Michael Shapcott

I was just going to say that we're in discussion with the Province of Ontario. They've already started to open up their provincial infrastructure fund, which is called OSIFA. They've initially announced that $500 million of it will be available as credit to non-profit housing providers to allow them to provide housing for people who otherwise couldn't get access. I think that's the kind of innovative financing option that this clause of the bill speaks to.

5:45 p.m.

Conservative

Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK

Can I get a response from the others?

5:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

You're the last questioner, so I'm wondering if we have time for more questions. Most members have gone, so you can have a quick response from somebody else and then we'll wrap it up.

5:45 p.m.

Conservative

Maurice Vellacott Conservative Saskatoon—Wanuskewin, SK

Would somebody else care to respond?

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

5:45 p.m.

Representative, Canadian Federation of Apartment Associations

David Lyman

Certainly, yes, it is an additional cost that government would bear.

Also, I'll speak very briefly on Michael's comments on rent supplements, which are different from housing allowances. Many of the problems with rent supplements, because they are agreements with specific landlords, are taken away by going with portable housing allowances. Many studies indicate that housing allowances cost significantly less over the long term, and all of them show they cost much less over the short term.

In fact, CMHC recently came out with a study showing that there aren't inflationary effects. For instance, Quebec has a good experience with housing allowances. If properly designed, they do not have inflationary effects, and I do draw the members' attention to the fact that I did include some comments on this in my material.

Again, that's just one of the additional costs where there is a role for government, I would suggest, in taking into account that the guarantees, which in essence this would be doing, would be bearing the cost. But it is a factor that absolutely needs to be considered.

5:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Dean Allison

Thank you very much for those comments.

I want to thank the witnesses for being here today. Thank you for your time.

As I can see, we certainly could have devoted a few more meetings to this issue and maybe we'll have to look at that. During our property study we met with some of the groups and, quite frankly, it looks as if there are probably more witnesses we could hear from on this issue.

Thank you very much.

With that, I am going to adjourn the meeting.