moved for leave to introduce Bill C-264, An Act to amend the Canadian Bill of Rights (right to housing).
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River for seconding this bill. The bill would amend the Canadian Bill of Rights to include the right to proper housing for all at a reasonable cost and free of unreasonable barriers.
Having a roof over one's head is a basic necessity. People who live on the streets do not know where they will sleep that night, whether they will eat, or where to find shelter from the bitter cold. It is much harder for them to find work, and their lives are very precarious. This affects their physical and mental health.
In Canada, at least 235,000 people experience this every year. Canada has recognized the right to housing internationally. It must do so in its own federal laws as well.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)