Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I want to remind you that we're talking about a report that mentions that the affordability criterion used for the initiative isn't based on household income. In fact, renters with the lowest income brackets and the greatest need for affordable housing are the ones who benefit the least from the initiative.
What we're also seeing in response to the current housing problem is the creation of a department of housing, in which we're essentially recreating what existed at the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, or CMHC, but in a new structure with new public servants. First, is this a repudiation of CMHC? How is that going to change the housing supply on the ground? Why isn't this money earmarked for human resources being used directly to build housing in the provinces, instead?
What is currently happening is yet again a duplication of structures. Quebec is going to take similar steps and, what's more, the federal government doesn't have the same standards—which results in delayed projects that don't come to fruition. In my riding, Abitibi-Ouest, a planned shelter for victims of domestic violence was nearly denied funding and completely cancelled because of battles between the two levels of government, which have different criteria.
How will the new structure support construction on the ground?