Evidence of meeting #119 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was crisis.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:50 p.m.
Conservative
Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Okay.
In the cities where you operate, would you say there is enough housing to meet the demand?
5:50 p.m.
Director, Effort Trust Company
It is my opinion that there is not enough housing to meet the demand. We operate primarily in small and mid-sized markets around the greater Toronto and Hamilton area. We don't do anything in downtown Toronto proper or downtown Ottawa proper—some of these major cities—but we operate in cities like Hamilton, Burlington, Cobourg, Kitchener and St. Catharines, which are important communities. What we are finding is that the vacancy rate and the rental market is as tight, if not tighter, in some ways, in some of these mid-size and smaller markets where we're operating.
5:50 p.m.
Conservative
Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
How much more supply do you think is needed, specifically in these centres you're operating in?
5:50 p.m.
Director, Effort Trust Company
Well, I'm not sure I'm qualified to speculate on that.
I do know that we would like to be a part of the supply solution, and we would like to build more buildings in each of the markets where we're operating. We believe there are opportunities for the private sector to bring mid-market, attainable rentals—that is, not low-income or low-rent ones—across the spectrum and across the markets in every location where we operate. I believe that thousands and thousands of units, in Hamilton in particular, would be absorbed very quickly. I believe the net effect of that would be to provide more choice to consumers, and I believe that in the long run that increased supply would help moderate pressures on increasing rents for both current and prospective renters. Remember, many of the people for whom we are planning haven't arrived—
5:50 p.m.
Conservative
Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Thank you.
I'm sorry. I have to move on.
Chair, I'd like to pass my time to Mrs. Gray.
5:50 p.m.
Conservative
Tracy Gray Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Thank you very much.
I'll be quick here to bring up an important topic so we can get back to our witnesses. The Salvation Army and Food Banks Canada recently released very impactful reports, and therefore I'm moving the following motion:
Given that:
1. A recent report from the Salvation Army indicates “1 in 4 Canadians continue to be extremely concerned about having enough income to cover their basic needs”;
2. This report found that in the province of Quebec, 74% of those surveyed said food security was a challenge they had faced in the last year;
3. A recent report from Food Banks Canada indicates that “Canada has reached a critical turning point as poverty and food insecurity worsen in every corner of the country”;
4. This report also expresses concern regarding the design of the Canada Disability Benefit, saying, “its proposed structure falls far short of the expectations that the government itself created and of the consensus among disability advocates”;
The committee recognizes and reports to the House that Canada is facing a rapidly worsening affordability, housing, and food insecurity crisis.
And, pursuant to Standing Order 108(1)(a), the committee invite representatives from the Salvation Army and Food Banks Canada to appear before the committee to testify in relation to these findings as soon as possible, for no less than two hours each, and that the committee find additional resources if necessary to facilitate this meeting.
This was circulated previously and should be in order, Mr. Chair.
5:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
Thank you, Mrs. Gray.
Yes, the motion is in order.
To the witnesses, Mrs. Gray has chosen to introduce a motion that she has on order. The committee must deal with this before we can return to you.
Is there discussion on the motion of Mrs. Gray?
Madam Zarrillo.
5:55 p.m.
NDP
Bonita Zarrillo NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC
Mr. Chair, I have some questions about the procedure today.
We have a motion right now, but we came to this committee and we didn't have a consensus or a discussion about meeting for for two hours; we were just told that we're meeting two hours. I'm not sure if we are going to have the opportunity to discuss this motion for more than our time limit, which is going to end in four minutes. I would like to get some clarity on how long this open portion of the committee meeting can go. Do we need to have unanimous consent to go for two hours today? That was something I wasn't told about in advance.
5:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
Thank you, Ms. Zarrillo.
I was advised that the committee had the authorization to conduct itself for the full two hours beginning at the time it began following the vote. I, as chair, called the meeting to order for the two hours, because it's the direction of this committee to hold a two-hour meeting today.
The committee is in order. We will use the first hour that we've been meeting on the housing report, on the housing motion study. Then we'll go in camera for the committee business part. Is that clear?
5:55 p.m.
NDP
Bonita Zarrillo NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC
Mr. Chair, we started at about six minutes after five. Is that correct? I wanted to know what time we're finishing this.
5:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
No, we started right around five o'clock, but it's my intention, as I indicated earlier, to conclude the first hour after you get your two and a half minutes.
5:55 p.m.
NDP
Bonita Zarrillo NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC
Mr. Chair, can I move adjournment on this item so that we can get back to our witnesses quickly? We have a very short window.
5:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
Yes. A motion to adjourn debate on this motion is in order. Did you call it?
5:55 p.m.
NDP
Bonita Zarrillo NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC
I'd also like to request that I would get the last minute or two.
5:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
We have a motion from Ms. Zarrillo to adjourn debate on the motion currently introduced.
We will have a recorded vote.
(Motion agreed to: yeas 7; nays 4)
The motion has been adjourned.
We will now return—
5:55 p.m.
Conservative
Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
On a point of order, while I was questioning the witness, I had a hard time hearing them. The floor audio is so quiet in here, and there was lots of chit-chat all around. When I put my earpiece in, there's that lag.
I would just ask that either the room stays quiet or this gets fixed, because it was very, very distracting to me.
6 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
Thank you, Ms. Falk. I'm using the earpiece the same as anybody else. I have it turned high enough that I can hear. People have the option of using the earpiece. That's your choice.
6 p.m.
Conservative
Tracy Gray Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
I have a point of order on this, Mr. Chair. It's not acceptable that there's a delay. That's the issue. It's not even about interpretation. It's about hearing even within the same language that you might be speaking.
6 p.m.
Conservative
Tracy Gray Conservative Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
There's a delay. We actually can't hear what the witnesses are saying.
6 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
The committee is operating under approved technology and hearing.
We'll return to the committee. I'll still be concluding with five minutes—two and a half minutes for Madame Chabot and two and a half minutes for Madam Zarrillo—and then we'll be suspending.
Mr. Fragiskatos, you have five minutes, please.