Thank you very much, Chair.
Thank you to our witnesses for being here today.
I'm finding this study incredibly frustrating because I'm hearing about so many of the problems. Yet it seems to me, in addition to the current federal solutions that we have that are not solving the problems, the problems that the federal programs are built upon originate in municipalities from which a large part of the current coalition government comes. I'm very confused about what the solutions will be.
Respectfully, Mr. Pomeroy, it seems to me that even if I have three people who own a house and they buy another house, the rent will be less for someone looking for an option for three houses rather than one house. I do believe, if it was just one house that was built rather than three, it is still a supply issue.
Then when I go on to the testimony of Mr. Moffatt, I'm wondering, Mr. Moffatt, what the shirts are in the background. If you would allow me, after I finish this line of thinking, to ask if you could explain that, I would be interested in hearing about that as well.
I'm hearing you say that you are seeing the current government programs pushing Canadians out of major centres into smaller centres. At the same time, I'm hearing you say that the government needs to do more of the same bad programming to keep the individuals in the centres. That's really what I'm hearing you say. I was with you until about three quarters of the way through your testimony.
Mr. Goldstein, your testimony is the one that's resonating with me the most, even though, apparently, you're not our witness. I will say, I do like your name. That is the name of my son, “Edward”. That's a great name.
When I evaluate what has gone wrong in my city of Calgary—and it's certainly not to the same extent as the examples provided by Mr. Moffatt in the GTA and other examples of Vancouver Island—it's three things that you touched upon, Mr. Goldstein. The first is approvals by municipal governments. There is one person to do retaining walls, for example, so you are waiting endlessly for an approval.
Second is the land supply. It think that in a coalition mentality there is a hesitancy to release land, which is just not realistic.
Finally, there are the levies, whereby municipalities think that if they stick it to the developers, that will solve their problems. However, the developers pass it on to the consumers rather than work collaboratively and intelligently with municipalities in an effort to not only economize those costs in the greatest possible capacity, but intelligently collaborate in an effort to avoid passing on those costs.
Mr. Goldstein, I'm hoping you'll be able to further address my comments about supply and those three things I mentioned—the approvals, the land supply and the levies. As well, I agree with your comment around affordable housing. I think this is a term that is continuously used disingenuously. People think, "We're a young couple; we want affordable housing", when really it's initiatives for a smaller segment of the population that the rest of the population will somehow have to pay for or subsidize.
I'd like your comments, please, Mr. Goldstein. Thank you.