Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, the hon. member for North Island—Powell River asked in the House how the finance minister could tell Canadian seniors that housing was just not available. On behalf of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, I would like to suggest that is simply not true.
The welfare and the well-being of our seniors, notably through proper housing, are top of mind for our government. In fact, over the past year and a half, our government has brought forward a number of measures, policies, and initiatives to improve access to affordable housing for Canadian seniors. As announced in budget 2017, we will invest more than $11.2 billion over 11 years in initiatives designed to build, renew, and repair Canada's stock of affordable housing. The national housing strategy, which will be announced later this year, will ensure that more Canadians have access to housing that meets their needs and that they can afford. This will help to reduce core housing needs and lift more Canadians out of homelessness, contributing to stronger, more inclusive communities.
As part of the government's renewed role in housing, we will establish a national housing fund to address critical housing issues and prioritize support for vulnerable citizens, including our seniors. Working with the provinces and territories, we will also co-invest with the proponents so that housing can complement other socio-economic priorities, such as housing for seniors and at-risk youth.
The budget 2017 initiatives build on the government's budget 2016 announcements related to housing, which included over $200 million over two years to help improve housing conditions for more than 5,000 low-income seniors' households. This funding is being delivered by provinces and territories through the investment in affordable housing. Greater accessibility and availability of services tied to housing and more housing options are top priorities for this government, as they will support Canadian seniors, among others.
That is why we held extensive consultations across the country to gather ideas and suggestions to guide the development of an inclusive national housing strategy for Canada. We know that the prosperity of the middle class and inclusive communities rely on safe, affordable housing, yet too many Canadians, including seniors, still struggle to find affordable housing that really meets their needs. We have been working with provinces and territories, indigenous peoples and other communities, as well as stakeholders and the public to address this issue and improve the lives of Canadian seniors, and we intend to continue on the same path.
On a very quick note, I would make reference to one of the first initiatives that we put in our very first budget. It was to ensure that the poorest of Canada's seniors, those receiving the guaranteed income supplement, would receive a substantial increase, to the degree that many of those seniors, for example, are now receiving an additional over $900 a year. For a senior in poverty, that is a lot of money. That was a priority of this government.
Our seniors and individuals who are concerned about the future of housing in our country need to be assured that we have a Prime Minister and government that are committed to providing the types of housing that we believe, and we know, Canadians are going to need into the future. We are working in a very robust fashion to deliver wherever we can on this very important issue facing all Canadians,