Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to have the opportunity to speak to how we are supporting our Canadian Armed Forces members.
Let us be quite strong in saying that I think, collectively, that the member opposite and I believe that CAF members are the backbone of our defence team. They are responsible for defending us, our values and our country. It is our responsibility as elected officials to eliminate as many unnecessary challenges as possible for CAF members and their families, such as by ensuring that, when military families relocate, they do not face additional and unnecessary burdens because they are dedicating themselves to serving our country.
We are committed to supporting members of the Canadian Armed Forces and their families so they can have affordable, safe and comfortable housing. We have a variety of initiatives and investments under way to meet the housing needs of Canadian Armed Forces members and their families.
We are already committed to investing $475 million over 10 years to build and renovate military housing across our country. This funding will help support our plan to construct approximately 650 new units over the next five years on bases with the greatest housing demands, such as Borden, Esquimalt and Gagetown. However, we know that more needs to be done. That is why, through Canada's updated defence policy, “Our North, Strong and Free”, we are committing an additional $295 million over the next 20 years to the military housing portfolio. This funding gives us the resources to continue building and upgrading existing housing. It would also help us establish a Canadian Armed Forces housing strategy to guide our housing efforts in both the short term and the long term in order to help CAF members and their families.
Child care services are another critical factor. I heard it mentioned a lot while I was touring the military bases. Child care is a priority for military families.
In our defence policy update, we invested $100 million to improve access to affordable, on-base child care. These investments will enable the Government of Canada to provide Canadian Armed Forces members and their families with affordable, safe, and comfortable housing now and in the years to come.
The Government of Canada has also put a number of safeguards in place to ensure that members of the Canadian Armed Forces pay fair and equitable rents across Canada, whether they live on or off base. For example, the Canadian Forces housing agency reviews and adjusts housing costs annually to reflect changes in the local rental market.
The Canadian Armed Forces housing strategy has also placed a 25% cap, based on gross household income, for CAF members currently living in military housing.
To become more responsive to the needs of CAF members, last July, our government replaced the post living differential, the PLD, with the new Canadian Forces housing differential, the CFHD.
I can go on and speak about the initiatives that we are taking, but I also want to take this opportunity, as always, to thank the wonderful people here in Canada. I want to thank our members and their families for their efforts here at home and also abroad. I know we will be there supporting them.