Evidence of meeting #23 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 affordable.
A recording is available from Parliament.
5:40 p.m.
Liberal
Soraya Martinez Ferrada Liberal Hochelaga, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I will start with Mr. Rubinstein, from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, FCM.
My question is about funding. We know that the FCM is already connected to municipalities when it comes to infrastructure funding distribution.
Can you tell us more about that? Do you think the FCM could have a role to play in the direct distribution of funding to municipalities? The committee members have been told a lot about that.
May 12th, 2022 / 5:40 p.m.
Senior Director, Policy and Government Relations, Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Thanks very much for the question.
Just for members' context, we do have the green municipal fund, a federally funded endowment, and we deliver interventions related to land-use sustainability and housing space. Those include the sustainable affordable housing initiative, which was first announced in budget 2019. With that program we're funding a range of projects across the country to retrofit existing social and affordable housing and build new. Some of those projects I know are quite innovative in terms of creating that extra density and supply that HAF is keen to deliver.
We know that in the budget there were additional monies for retrofitting of existing low-income housing and social and affordable housing. That's the space we have expertise in and we're certainly encouraged to see how that funding is delivered.
5:40 p.m.
Liberal
Soraya Martinez Ferrada Liberal Hochelaga, QC
Mr. Rubinstein, I'm sorry to cut you off.
Yes, I know you do that for rapid housing. My question was whether you would do that for the accelerator fund.
5:40 p.m.
Senior Director, Policy and Government Relations, Federation of Canadian Municipalities
I think we see this program as really something that our members will need to tap into directly. All of us who are involved in that housing sustainability land-use space need to bring our best thinking to the program to help make it a success. Certainly on the GMF, I can share part of our approach to low carbon, density and land use. There's lots to learn there that we can help our members with as they access this program. I hope so.
5:40 p.m.
Liberal
Soraya Martinez Ferrada Liberal Hochelaga, QC
Thank you, Mr. Rubinstein.
My question is for Mr. Lee. You touched on the labour shortages in construction such that they could present a challenge for addressing the housing crisis. What would you think about having a dedicated immigration stream for foreign construction workers? Is that something that would be interesting to address the issue? What do you see as challenges to construction for rural areas versus in a city? I'm hearing a lot that in the rural sector they have projects, but they just don't get anybody to go up there and construct the houses.
How would you address that issue?
5:45 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Home Builders' Association
On the immigration side, I think it is critical that we really start to better target the types of people we need to do jobs in this country. We have spent a little bit too much time over the years focusing on a knowledge economy, which Canadians are actually very good at filling, but this country was built quite literally by people with skills in the trades who immigrated here from other countries, and we really need to return to that. That will be critical. Any kind of stream on that front we would really welcome.
With respect to rural and remote areas, it's definitely a challenge. One of the things that have happened through the pandemic is that some of those areas have become more attractive because people can work in different areas, so that will hopefully help to bring different people there.
I spoke earlier about the need for better productivity. A big part of that needs to be more factory-built panelized and modular construction, which will also greatly help rural and remote communities, because a lot of the work can be done in more urban centres. It takes fewer people on site to finish a factory-built home in more rural communities.
5:45 p.m.
Liberal
Soraya Martinez Ferrada Liberal Hochelaga, QC
I have a quick question, Mr. Hahn.
What are your thoughts on the right of first refusal?
The City of Montreal has established a right of first refusal for the purchase of land or buildings. So the city has the right of first refusal.
5:45 p.m.
Liberal
Soraya Martinez Ferrada Liberal Hochelaga, QC
No, I'm talking about just land for cities in general. The City of Montreal got the right of first refusal on lands and buildings. That's something the Government of Quebec is looking into. Actually, they announced it this morning.
5:45 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, BILD Calgary Region
Your question is what do we think of the municipality having first refusal?
5:45 p.m.
Chief Executive Officer, BILD Calgary Region
In Calgary that is not a requirement. The illustration I would give you is that the City of Calgary is the largest industrial landowner there is, so in our particular circumstance, I can't see it making a lot of sense.
I think it was Mr. Rubenstein from FCM who said that each municipality has different circumstances, so I would say that one size does not fit all in the particular circumstances here.
5:45 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bobby Morrissey
Thank you, Ms. Martinez Ferrada and Mr. Hahn.
That concludes the committee's time. I want to thank the witnesses for their very detailed testimony before our committee today. You can see that the committee members had a great deal of interest. We could have spent a few more hours with you, but we don't have time.
Thank you for your time.
With that, is it the pleasure of the committee to adjourn?
The meeting is adjourned.