Mr. Speaker, around 1.7 million Canadian families do not have a home they can afford that meets their basic needs.
The 10-year, $40-billion investment our government is making, through the national housing strategy, will encourage the construction of affordable rental housing by providing low-cost loans through the rental construction financing initiative, giving more Canadians a place to call home.
I would like to recognize the invaluable role housing co-operatives play in the lives of the residents of Mississauga—Lakeshore and communities across our great nation. In our community, Brooks Co-op, Erin Court Co-op, Indwell, Springfield Co-op, the Peel-Halton Co-operative Housing Federation and the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada are working hard on this front. I thank them for their leadership, and I look forward to continuing to champion their efforts.
Housing co-operatives are about much more than affordable housing. They are about building communities where neighbours look out for one another. They are about allowing members to reach their full potential. They are about building homes for Canadians.