Mr. Speaker, on February 10, Victoria participated in a point-in-time count to assess the extent of homelessness in our community. The results are staggering. At least 1,387 people have no safe place to call home, including 223 children and youth.
We are grappling with a housing and homelessness crisis. The most serious illustration at present is the tent city on the grounds of the provincial courthouse in downtown Victoria.
The good news, going forward, is that our community has a plan, but we need federal help to make it work. The capital regional district has recently invested $30 million to build permanent housing and has called upon the province and the federal government to do the same.
Today, I am asking the government to match this commitment so we can get started this year on shovel-ready housing projects.
Years of federal inaction have brought our city to its current crisis. It is now time to step up.