Debates of June 11th, 2025

Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates (A), 2025-26

[Sima Acan, Liberal, Oakville West, ON]

Mr. Chair, could the minister explain why the government is tying infrastructure funding to conditions such as housing.

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Chair, Canada is grappling with significant housing challenges. Housing needs vary across the country, depending on province, territory or neighbourhoods, and they are very distinct to those local needs. A collaborative approach is needed to address the current housing crisis where all the levels of government are participating.

Housing and infrastructure are intertwined. They go hand in hand. The infrastructure needs to be in place in order for people to be housed there and for people to live their lives. The infrastructure needs to be in a state of good repair. We cannot build new housing or densify neighbourhoods if we do not have that base of water, sewers, transportation infrastructure, roads and transit, as well as community buildings to support the residents in place when they move in. That is why the government is bringing very direct and concrete links between housing and infrastructure funding.

Investments will be aimed at developing complete, livable and inclusive communities that support jobs, economic productivity, environmental sustainability and enhance the quality of life in a way that really reflects the strategic long-term objectives of building climate resilience; supporting communities transitioning towards net zero, being energy efficient and clean; and helps communities identify their public infrastructure needs.

[Sima Acan, Liberal, Oakville West, ON]

Mr. Chair, given the frequency and severity of natural disasters, such as the recent wildfires, why is Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada not funding more resilient infrastructure?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Chair, resilient infrastructure does not just make good economic sense, it is critical to keeping Canadians and our communities safe. That is why we have committed almost $4 billion, through programs such as the disaster mitigation and adaptation fund, the infrastructure Canada investment program and the national infrastructure fund, to help mitigate and adapt infrastructure to the impacts of natural hazards, like forest fires and floods. More than this, we are building resilience into all of our programs to ensure that strong measures for climate resilience are the foundation of program design.

The impacts are very real. We are seeing it on the prairies right now. We have seen it, from our previous conversation here, related to the floods in B.C. and the Fraser Valley in 2021. These are massive impacts, very disruptive to community and to our economy, and we need to make sure, through the department's work, that we are encouraging the use of nature-based solutions, such as green roofs and coastal wetland restoration, to mitigate the effects of flooding, erosion and urban heat islands. We saw the unprecedented impact and loss of life in B.C. in 2021 from the heat wave.

All new infrastructure investments are required to incorporate resilience guidelines, standards and codes. Our department also conducts research to develop the tools, the technologies and the guidance for public infrastructure management and to inform the code standards and specifications for climate resilience. The department has also developed a climate tool kit to support infrastructure that is more resilient to climate change.

Currently, the Climate Help Desk is open and offers direct technical support to communities. Public infrastructure owners and operators responded to the inquiries on the best practices in their sectors for low-carbon and resilient infrastructure projects. This is an important partnership in which the department can answer questions about the department's climate requirements for funding programs, promoting our best practices for the infrastructure assets and providing the technical guidance, support and advice to incorporate climate-smart solutions into the projects.

[Sima Acan, Liberal, Oakville West, ON]

Mr. Chair, many indigenous communities face inadequate housing, water systems and transportation infrastructure. What is Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada doing to address the infrastructure gaps?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Chair, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada acknowledges the infrastructure gap in many indigenous communities that needs to be addressed. To help address that, we have many supports in our programming to ensure that indigenous communities can benefit from our programs. For example, programs have funding minimums that are dedicated to indigenous communities: higher cost shares, sometimes up to 100% for indigenous applicants; broader eligibility; and longer intakes and capacity supports during the application process. We also have programs such as the rural transit solutions fund, which are targeted toward rural and remote communities.

[Sima Acan, Liberal, Oakville West, ON]

Mr. Chair, historically, Canada has focused on projects that overlook the needs of rural communities. What steps is Canada currently taking to prioritize investments in rural areas?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Chair, the department has several programs that will benefit rural, remote and indigenous communities and organizations that consider their unique needs. Examples are programs that integrate flexibilities, such as rolling intakes for smaller communities, and flexibility for indigenous recipients. Our program officials work very closely with the potential recipients to provide application support.

[Jason Groleau, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

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

The Liberals caused the housing crisis in Beauce and across Canada. Many families can no longer afford a place to live. Over the past five years, rent has increased by over 50% in some cities.

How many new homes need to be built per year to solve this crisis in Canada?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada]

Mr. Chair, I thank the member for his question. I will answer in English.

In terms of how many we are building, currently, 220,000 homes a year, approximately, is the pace.

[Jason Groleau, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Chair, what is the target for housing construction in Canada in 2025?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Chair, the goal across Canada for us is to build more homes and to be ramping up to doubling the current rate.

[Jason Groleau, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Chair, how many new rental units have been built in Canada in the past 12 months?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Chair, approximately 225,000 units were built in the last year.

[Jason Groleau, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Chair, of those 225,000 units, how many went through a CMHC program in the past 12 months?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Chair, I would be happy to provide the member with the detailed data on that as soon as possible.

[Jason Groleau, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Chair, is the minister familiar with the MLI Select program, yes or no?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Chair, I am familiar with the program, yes.

[Jason Groleau, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Chair, what is the purpose of that program?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Chair, the MLI select program is part of CMHC.

[Jason Groleau, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Chair, how long does it take to process a CMHC application?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Chair, it really varies with the application through CMHC. There is quite a range depending on the scale of the project for CMHC.

[Jason Groleau, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Chair, the answer is six months.

What are the program criteria? What is the percentage of financing? How many years is the maximum amortization period for this program?

[Gregor Robertson, Liberal, Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby, BC]

Mr. Chair, on the MLI select program, I can get the member some detailed information about those questions. I would be happy to do that.

[Jason Groleau, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Chair, is it true that, if an owner increases the cost of rent, the CMHC gives them more funding?