Debates of May 15th, 2023

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation—Main Estimates, 2023-24

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Madam Chair, the thing is that the housing crisis is causing the social crisis in our communities. It is causing homelessness. It is causing opioid overdoses. It is causing social problems in our community. Although it may seem that they are not connected, they are.

I will change my questioning, though. In my riding, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment has increased by 21% in just the last year.

In Port Moody—Coquitlam, I have knocked on doors and have spoken to single mothers with children with disabilities, who have been displaced and are having to go into new rental homes because of these luxury condos that are taking away purpose-built rental.

For one woman I was speaking to recently, her rental home costs went up 50% when she had to find another house for her and her daughter. It is the same thing for seniors and persons with disabilities who no longer have access to stable rental housing in my community. People are living in cars, tents and outside in parks.

What is the government going to do to bring down the price of rent in the country? What the government is doing now is not working in my community.

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Madam Chair, the hon. member points out the challenge of access to safe and affordable housing that meets the needs of each and every Canadian. At the end of the day, different people in the housing spectrum have different types of needs.

There is absolutely a need for more deeply affordable housing. That is why we are investing more federal resources into building more co-op housing, by investing $1.5 billion in a new generation of co-op units. We are providing supports to municipalities through the housing accelerator fund, to build more housing of all types, including affordable housing, but also bringing forward investments in the national housing co-investment fund, to free up more affordable housing for Canadians, as well as reinvesting in the third round of the rapid housing initiative.

All of these measures are a recognition of the importance of deeply affordable housing to meet the needs of Canadians.

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Madam Chair, here is breaking news out of UBC. A UBC report says that B.C. renters are the most likely to be evicted and 10.5% of B.C. renters are forced to move versus 5.9% in the rest of Canada.

Why and what is the minister going to do to keep people in their homes?

[Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion (Housing)]

Madam Chair, I just want to remind my colleagues about the co-investment fund. It is $979 million. Since 2015, it is more than 8,000 units. If we take the rapid housing initiative, one and two, there was $200 million on one, $185 million on two and more than 1,000 units.

Those are the numbers for British Columbia.

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Madam Chair, this is the problem with the government. It does not matter that it is saying it is spending money. It is not spending it fast enough. It is not spending it in the right places and more and more people are going homeless every day.

We are now more than halfway through the government's 10-year national housing strategy, with more than $31 billion spent, yet costs are not going down. More people are going homeless and CMHC says that we need more financialization of housing to solve the problem.

Does the minister agree with this statement?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Madam Chair, this is the reality of our investments in British Columbia. Since 2015, we have invested over $7.8 billion in housing in British Columbia to help nearly 147,000 families and over 153,000 households get the housing they need. This includes a joint investment of $517 million in the Canada-B.C. housing benefit, which is targeted at supporting over 25,000 British Columbians.

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Madam Chair, does the minister know what an agreement to above-guideline rent increase is?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Madam Chair, I am happy to discuss the intricacies of the rental market with the hon. member, but what is more important is to talk about housing supply, to talk about supports for renters and to talk about affordability.

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Madam Chair, my colleague, the member for Vancouver East, explained this earlier today. We are losing 15 units of affordable housing while the government is trying to build one. In B.C., these above-guideline rent increases are affecting seniors who have lived in their home for 10, 15 or 20 years. How is the government going to use its housing program to ensure that people can live in stable—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Sorry, I need to allow the hon. minister to respond.

The hon. minister, with his last response.

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Madam Chair, if one listened to the NDP, one would think we are the only order of government that is responsible for housing. Housing is a shared priority. We are doing our part, but the provinces and the municipalities also have a role. We are doing our part to support renters and build more affordable housing.

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

It being 11:35 p.m., pursuant to Standing Order 81(4), all votes are deemed reported. The committee will now rise.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

This House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

Good night, everybody.

(The House adjourned at 11:36 p.m.)