Mr. Speaker, Canada's housing crisis is rooted in the Liberals' cancellation of the national affordable housing program in 1993.
There are 230,000 Canadians who experience homelessness each year, and 1.7 million households live in substandard and unaffordable housing. Despite declaring housing a basic human right in 2017, the Prime Minister has failed to back it up with meaningful action. The Liberal plan only aims to build 150,000 units of affordable housing over 10 years, effectively saying that it is acceptable to leave close to 100,000 Canadians without homes. The housing strategy was a planned failure from the start. A rapid housing initiative of building 3,000 units is not enough when, in Vancouver alone, over 2,000 people are homeless.
Government failures have real consequences. People are living in encampments, like in Strathcona, and indigenous families are losing their children because they do not have safe, affordable housing.
No more recycling announcements. No more excuses. Canadians need real homes now.