Mr. Speaker, I have to admit that it is kind of refreshing to finally hear someone talk about one of the aspects of the bills.
The member sounded quite knowledgeable but seemed to dwell on the homeless side of housing, then on social side and then on the affordable. There is a difference.
I must remind him, if the Toronto condition is any indicator, that: 35% of the homeless in Toronto suffer from mental illness; 28% are youth alienated from their families, 75% of which have experienced physical or mental abuse; 18% are aboriginals off reserve; 10% are transient women; and for the remainder, less than 10%, it has to do with some economic reasons. I would characterize those people as those in Canada whom no one loves.
That is the social housing side, but those people probably do not want the housing at any price. This is one problem that needs to be dealt with and this is not what this bill deals with.
With regard to the affordable side, members will probably know that many of the projects that have been built require a split between market rents and housing that is subsidized or rent geared to income. Usually it is 40% subsidized rent or rent geared to income, yet if we were to think about it, if the proportion were simply increased from 40% to 50%, that would be a 25% increase in the affordable housing stock. There are ways to deal with this. It is not just about money; it is about being smart. I know the member realizes that.
My question for the member, since he has spent a substantial portion of his time on housing, is this, excluding investment in aboriginal housing, which is a given: does he believe the non-aboriginal support would in fact be beneficial not necessarily as a final solution to all things but rather a help to ensure that more Canadians have the dignity of a roof over their heads?