Debates of May 15th, 2023

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

[Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Liberal, Hochelaga, QC]

Madam Chair, this comes back to what I was saying earlier. We need to work on market speculation. Slowing down market speculation will allow for more housing units and homes to be available for Canadians here and not for foreigners who do not live in the country.

[Élisabeth Brière, Liberal, Sherbrooke, QC]

Madam Chair, we brought in the one-time top-up to the Canada housing benefit. I would like the parliamentary secretary to talk to us about this top-up.

Who is eligible and how does this top-up help the recipients who are affected by inflation?

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

Madam Chair, we are proud to have worked with members of Parliament here to introduce the top-up to the Canada housing benefit, which reached 800,000 vulnerable renters. We are proud that we got that into the hands of our Canadian renters.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Madam Chair, I will be splitting my time with two colleagues.

Through you to the minister, what province has the region in Canada where it takes the longest to save for the average down payment to own a home?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion]

Madam Chair, we are absolutely committed to making sure that Canadians have access to their dream of home ownership. That is why we introduced the first-time homebuyer incentive. That is why we introduced—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for Kelowna—Lake Country.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Madam Chair, the answer is British Columbia.

In 2015, prior to the Liberals coming into office, how many years would it have taken someone in Vancouver to save for the average down payment?

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

Madam Chair, we have done more than any other government to invest in more affordable housing options for British Columbians.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Madam Chair, the answer is five and a half years.

As of 2022, after the Liberals being in office almost eight years, how many years does it take someone in Vancouver to save for the average down payment?

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

Madam Chair, if the party opposite had its way, it would not even offer any supports to first-time homebuyers to access their dream of home ownership.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Madam Chair, the answer is 30 years. That is a staggering 500% increase from 2015 to 2022, for someone living in B.C. to save for the average down payment.

With this result after eight years of Liberal policies, does the minister take accountability for this 500% increase in the time it takes people to save for a home in British Columbia?

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

Madam Chair, we know that Canadians are struggling to find housing that is affordable. That is precisely why we introduced measures to help Canadians access their dream of home ownership, by putting in place policies like the first-time homebuyer incentive.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Madam Chair, no wonder we have a housing crisis when the housing minister takes no accountability for his results in housing. We will move on to something else.

According to a Stats Canada 2022 report, which province ranks as the most unaffordable and has the highest number of renter households in Canada?

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

Madam Chair, I wish the hon. member was tough on her own caucus, which believes that the federal government should have less leadership on housing and that we should withdraw from the housing sector completely.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Madam Chair, the answer, once again, is British Columbia.

What is the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Kelowna, British Columbia?

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

Madam Chair, it does not matter because the hon. member believes we should do less on housing. Her party's leader has said that we should—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Madam Chair, it does matter to the people in Kelowna, British Columbia how much rent is. It is $1,952.

What is the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Vancouver?

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

Madam Chair, the hon. member and her party want to play games instead of dealing with the serious challenges facing Canadians. We are the party that is putting solutions on the table and they vote against those solutions.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Madam Chair, the answer is $2,787.

The housing minister does not know his file. He is not even trying. He is not even asking his officials to hand him sticky notes with answers on them anymore. We will move on to something else.

Does the minister believe that supply is one of the key factors for getting the housing crisis in B.C. under control?

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

Madam Chair, we are the ones who delivered for British Columbians through the Canada–British Columbia housing benefit, which is now helping tens of thousands of British Columbian households get money directly to help them with rent. What did the hon. member and her party do? They voted against those supports. She can quote all the numbers she likes, but when it came time for action, they did not—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Madam Chair, these are actual results. According to the British Columbia Real Estate Association, how are housing starts forecasted for 2023 compared to the previous year?

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

Madam Chair, the hon. member's logic is to do less on housing but somehow produce more housing. How does that make sense?

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Madam Chair, they are on track to be down 18.6%.

With housing starts down, does the minister believe this will help housing availability and affordability in British Columbia?