Debates of May 15th, 2023

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

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

Mr. Chair, it is very perplexing. Conservatives talk about, for example, connecting housing to infrastructure. We have been doing that for two years. They talk about investing in municipalities and removing the obstacles to more supply. That is exactly what the housing accelerator fund will do.

We are very much perplexed by the fact that they keep voting against the measures and investments that are supposed to do what they say are their priorities.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Chair, in their defence, maybe the Conservatives did not know what they were voting on. Would the minister like to comment on whether he thinks that is a possibility?

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

Mr. Chair, it is possible because we launched the housing accelerator fund in the morning, and the leader of the official opposition came up with this plan for more housing supply the same afternoon. However, their copy job was not good enough because it did not even capture the breadth and comprehensiveness of our plan.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

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

Could the minister tell us what the average rent of a one-bedroom apartment was in Toronto in 2015?

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

Mr. Chair, I would really like to understand how building more rentals by investing less money makes sense on that side of the House.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Chair, I just want the number, please. How much was it?

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

Mr. Chair, it is very rich having these types of questions coming from that side, when they believe the federal government should do less on housing, not more.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Chair, it was $1,103. Can the minister tell us what the average rent is now?

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

Mr. Chair, if the Conservatives want to be taken seriously on the issue of rent, they should stop blocking rental supports to Canadians.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Chair, does the minister have a single number from his own estimates?

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

Mr. Chair, it is hard to take the party opposite seriously on rent, when it voted against the Canada housing benefit, which delivers rental supports to Canadians.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Chair, it is more than $2,500. Is he aware that this number is more than double what it was eight years ago?

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

Mr. Chair, what I do know is that the Conservative Party, when in power, did nothing to help Canadian renters. We introduced the Canada housing benefit, which is helping renters.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Chair, is the minister aware that the number is double? I want just a “yes” or “no”.

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

Mr. Chair, it would be interesting to know how the Conservatives plan to build more rentals with less money and less investment in housing.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Chair, the hon. minister can ask all the questions he wants when he is in opposition, but this is not how it works.

Is he aware that $2,526 for an average rental apartment in Toronto is double what it was eight years ago?

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

Mr. Chair, with all due respect, I know how this committee of the whole works. I am pointing out the hypocrisy of not helping Canadian renters and then standing here and talking about rent as if they care.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Chair, does the minister have a single number from his own estimates tonight?

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

Mr. Chair, I would like to know how the Conservatives plan to cut supports for renters and then stand here and pretend to care about renters.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Chair, I just want a single number.

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

Mr. Chair, I also noticed that you are not giving me the same amount of time as the questioner to answer.

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

It is the same amount of time.

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

You are cutting me off earlier—

[The Chair, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

Order. I am actually giving the minister more time to answer than the questioner. Just so we know, if the member is taking three seconds, then the minister has three seconds. I am being very generous with the minister by answering that.

The hon. member for Thornhill.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Chair, if the minister does not have a single number on the prices of rent, let us try housing.

Can the minister tell us how much an average home in Toronto cost in 2015?