Debates of May 15th, 2023

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

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, if these funds have already been allocated, why is there still such a huge housing gap in all three territories?

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

Madam Chair, the hon. member is right. We have, of course, allocated significant resources that are making an impact on the ground, but there is more work to be done. We are committed to doing that work.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, while there is more work to be done, when will the government actually make sure that there is action rather than making more promises?

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

Madam Chair, that is not fair. In Nunavut alone we have helped over 5,000 families and supported individuals to meet their housing needs. Yes, there is more work to be done, but to say that there has been no action—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, I have indigenous women coming to me saying they cannot leave their violent partners because there is no housing available to them. When will the government protect the rights of indigenous women so they can live in safe and comfortable housing?

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

Madam Chair, we do prioritize housing for indigenous women through our investments. We just recently announced $103 million to fund projects in over 21 communities, particularly for indigenous women fleeing from domestic violence.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, all I am hearing are more promises. All I am hearing are promises to spend money. At the same time, I am hearing from my communities that these investments are not helping my communities. They are not helping indigenous communities.

When will the government actually act on ensuring that indigenous peoples have the same access to housing, which it says is a right of indigenous peoples?

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

Madam Chair, how can the hon. member say this when we committed $400 million as part of the northern housing priorities in budget 2018 and then an additional $845 million over seven years for Inuit distinctions-based housing recently? These are significant dollars and they are in addition to the rapid housing initiative investments and other investments.

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, all I will say at this point is that all these promises and all these investments have been in significant decline going back to 2016. We need to make sure that reinvestments are increased again to make sure that—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I am sorry. There is no more time.

The hon. member for Kitchener Centre.

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Madam Chair, CMHC's mandate is to help Canadians in housing need by improving access to affordable housing.

I am concerned this is not currently the reality across the country, and I am not the only one. From her 2022 report on chronic homelessness, the Auditor General found “Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation did not know whether it was addressing the housing needs of and improving housing outcomes for vulnerable Canadians”.

This deeply concerns me because in my community, home prices and rents have skyrocketed, while homelessness has more than tripled since 2018. No wonder the national housing advocate recently shared that the national housing strategy is failing. I have several questions and suggestions for the Minister of Housing to push for CMHC, and the federal government, to get closer to meeting its mandate.

First, we know that real estate investment trusts, REITs, one of Canada's largest corporate landlords, contribute to worsening the housing crisis by buying up existing units and raising rents as they seek to maximize their profitability. Oddly, CMHC has recently loaned $60 million to Choice REIT, one of Canada's largest REITs, which made over $744 million in net profits last year. This is just one of four such agreements with REITs.

Will the minister ensure our national housing agency, with a mandate for improving housing affordability, stops loaning public funds to for-profit corporate landlords at a time when funds are being reduced for non-profit housing providers?

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

Madam Chair, I welcome the hon. member's questions and the prioritization of housing and action against homelessness.

I can assure the member that our government prioritizes funding to support organizations supporting those who are experiencing homelessness on the ground. We have doubled that funding, in fact.

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Madam Chair, another option that the minister could consider is the one untapped source of significant revenue to expand affordable housing across the country, which would be to remove corporate tax exemptions for real estate investment trusts.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates this could generate at least $285 million in government revenue over the next five years. This is what could be used to supplement funds for the affordable housing we need. Does the minister believe that removing REITs' tax exemption and directing these revenues to affordable housing would help to address Canada's current housing crisis?

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

Madam Chair, we have answered a couple of my colleague's questions around speculation of the market, and we agree. We have engaged in doing a reform of the investments in residential estates. There is a lot more work to be done.

I think the member would recognize that we are moving forward with legislation that supports the right to homes and supports working on breaking speculation of the market. We agree that there is more to be done.

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Madam Chair, the 2022 Auditor General report on chronic homelessness recently called for the definition of affordable housing to be consistent across CMHC's programs.

For example, in the national housing strategy, affordable rent is calculated as less than 30% of before-tax income. However, under the national housing co-investment fund, affordable rent is based on rent being less than 80% of market rent. What that means is that rental housing funds would not be going to the lowest income households.

Will the minister ensure that CMHC uses one consistent definition, and put an end to this use of the 80% of market rent definition?

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

Madam Chair, I do appreciate the questions. I just want to clarify a few things. I think there are some inaccuracies in some of the assertions made.

Of the rental construction financing initiative, for the over 190 projects funded by CMHC, only four are connected to or are real estate investment trusts. That means that these projects are really increasing supply. They also have to meet the affordability criteria that is imposed on them to access federal dollars, as well as making their units accessible and energy efficient.

In terms of deeply affordable housing, I would point the hon. member to the significant investments we have made, and continue to make, in affordable housing, whether it is the rapid housing initiative or the co-investment fund, which delivers an average of $700 in monthly rental payments for tenants living in those units across the country.

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Madam Chair, just to develop the question, will the minister commit to a consistent definition of “affordable housing” across all the CMHC's programs?

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

Madam Chair, every Canadian has a right to an affordable place to call home. The housing needs and economic circumstances of Canadians vary widely, which is why the national housing strategy has different programs for different people.

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Madam Chair, to increase the affordable housing supply, as one last idea for the minister, such advocates as ACORN Canada called for a dedicated acquisition fund to enable non-profits, co-ops and land trust organizations to buy at-risk rental buildings when they come on the market, preventing them from being bought by for-profit corporate landlords. Will the minister listen to these advocates and implement a dedicated acquisition fund?

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

Madam Chair, I have news for the hon. member; the housing accelerator fund will enable local governments to do exactly that. They can use some of the proceeds and incentive amounts of money through the housing accelerator fund to actually buy land and build more affordable housing.

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Madam Chair, I certainly hope that the housing accelerator fund matches the acquisition fund that ACORN and others are calling for.

I just want to thank the minister and team for—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I am sorry; there is no more time left.

I want to remind members that they are not to eat while they are in the chamber.

The hon. member for Winnipeg Centre.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Madam Chair, I will be splitting my time with the member for Port Moody—Coquitlam.

The minister sat and watched Manitoba's largest lowest-income seniors housing complex, Lions Place, be sold off to a for-profit company. Gerald Brown, chair of the Lions Place residence council senior action committee, wrote two letters to the minister, but he has never responded. Is the minister planning to respond to him?

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

Madam Chair, that is not fair. I met with the Manitoba housing minister, Rochelle Squires, precisely on that project. By the way, we built 50,000 units of affordable housing for seniors.