Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to respond to the member for Davenport on the issue of affordable housing.
Our government has made unprecedented investments in affordable housing over the past six years. The facts are clear. Since 2006, the federal government has invested an estimated $9.5 billion in housing programs. These investments have benefited low income Canadian seniors, persons with disabilities, recent immigrants, aboriginal people and those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
The largest portion of federal funding for housing, $1.7 billion a year, helps ensure that households living in existing social housing can continue to afford their homes. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, which administers this funding on behalf of the Government of Canada, reports that almost 615,000 households benefit from this federal investment.
Our government also recognizes that investments are needed in new affordable housing and other solutions that reduce the number of Canadians with housing needs. This is why in 2008 we committed $1.9 billion over five years to improve existing housing and build new affordable housing to help the homeless.
As part of this investment, the affordable housing initiative and the federal renovation programs for low-income households were extended for two years.
We then sat down with the provinces, territories and other stakeholders to determine the best way of using the funds over the remaining three years of the five-year commitment. This led to the announcement in July of the Framework for Investment in Affordable Housing.
When provincial and territorial investments are included, this framework provides for a combined investment of more than $1.4 billion over three years toward reducing the number of Canadians with housing needs.
I am pleased to note today that bilateral agreements have been signed with most provinces and territories to implement this framework agreement. As a result, funds are flowing to programs and projects in communities all across the country.
The government's commitment to affordable housing was also evident during the stimulus phase of Canada's economic action plan, which included the investment of more than $2 billion in additional funding over two years. This money went toward renovating and repairing existing social housing; building new affordable housing for low income seniors, people with disabilities and northerners; and to address housing needs on reserve. All together, these investments have supported more than 14,000 social housing and first nations housing projects.
In first nations communities, more than $400 million in federal funding is invested in housing on reserve each year, funding that is used to subsidize existing rental housing, build new homes and renovate existing housing as repairs are needed.
In response to a question from the hon. member for Davenport last December, the minister stated that all Canadians deserved a warm, safe place to live. The investments our government has made and continues to make demonstrate that we are doing our part to make sure this happens.