Finance committee  Good afternoon, Mr. Chair. Thank you for the invitation to appear. By the way, congratulations on your election as chair. For those of you unfamiliar with the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association, CHRA is the voice of the affordable housing sector in Canada. Our members rang

Finance committee  Let me first of all say on the question of shovel-worthy, shovel-ready projects that we've been asked whether the social housing sector has those types of projects ready to go. Let me state unequivocally, absolutely yes, si, oui, ja—however you want to say it. The social housing

Finance committee  There have been all kinds of socio-economic studies showing the impact on the economy, on individuals, and on families of a lack of affordable housing. It goes to the heart of the inability to have an education, the inability to hold a job, family breakups, obviously, impacts on

Finance committee  The needs are so great in social housing right now, as I said in my remarks—in rehabilitation and renewal of existing stock, the need for new incremental units, the need to look at some socially innovative ways to get out of operating agreements once they expire—that at this poin

Finance committee  Ms. Boutin-Sweet, thank you for your question and for your support of our sector. I will reply to you in English. When operating agreements expire, and as I've said, that has already begun—we've already seen approximately 800 agreements expire just in the past year or so—provid

Finance committee  We have to find new, innovative solutions. The other option is they close, and when that happens we start seeing evictions. We see increases in homelessness. We see people who really have no other choice, and clearly, that's a last resort. That's the last thing we want to see, b

Finance committee  Principally co-op housing, but there is somewhat of a mix. The vast majority of those 800 are co-ops, yes.

Finance committee  Most operating agreements would have been negotiated between CMHC and individual providers in the sixties, seventies, eighties, generally for a long-term commitment. The time is up for these agreements without a renewal of them. Between now and 2040, we're seeing that long-term d

Finance committee  Mr. Chair, the ask regarding renewal and rehabilitation of existing stock is approximately $1.7 billion per year. The ask regarding the 100,000 new homes is approximately $1.5 billion per year. What we call sector transformation or sector innovation to diversify, sort of a post-o

Finance committee  At present the government funds through its operating agreements approximately $1.6 billion in social housing. As we've talked about, those agreements are set to expire over the next 20-some years. Rather than see that money disappear, we're asking for a continuation and reinves

Finance committee  Mr. Chair, it would be important to note there's no one standard operating agreement. There's no template agreement. Every operating agreement has a different approach and a different mix of what is covered. To your point earlier, you are correct in saying that essentially agree

Finance committee  Mr. Chair, we're ready to go. There are no shortages of projects across the country that are shovel-worthy. There would be no shortage of projects that could have an energy efficiency or some sustainability angle to them. The needs are great out there, so absolutely, we're ready

Finance committee  That's been a really key and interesting question for a lot of municipalities in Canada: how to essentially incent or entice private developers to include an element of social housing within private builds. Clearly, the rental market has been somewhat on the decline. There's no

Finance committee  Sure, and if I may say so, Mr. Chair, we fully agree. One of our three key asks was to look at 100,000 new social housing units across Canada to meet the growing needs. Let's face it. All you have to do is read the paper any day of the week and you can see what's happening with

Finance committee  Thank you for the question. Absolutely. We know that the government, in its budgetary plan that is coming out in a few weeks, is going to be looking at a short-term investment plan primarily focused on stimulus programs, shovel-worthy projects, possibly green, etc. However, in