Finance committee  I think any time a housing co-op is built, we pay very close attention to the condition of the environment where we're planning on building. I don't think contamination is restricted to your riding. I think it's a fact of life across Canada, and we have to be very careful about what we do and how we do it.

Finance committee  There's no question we appreciate the fact that this government fulfilled the obligations that were made of $1.4 billion. There is no question we're pleased with that. However, most of that money is still sitting in trust funds, and we would like to ensure that the government continues to--

Finance committee  True.

Finance committee  Certainly cooperative housing is always looking for land we can build housing on. We would welcome that.

Finance committee  Housing is going to be delivered through the provinces. We know that. I think the federal government has an obligation to ensure that money is available for building the infrastructure that housing is part of. We all know that housing plays a very large part in the health and education of Canadians.

Finance committee  Yes and no. It's jointly administered. We all have purchased a share in the co-op while we're a member there and we jointly administer the activities of the co-op.

Finance committee  No. Each co-op is a corporation in its own right, and the units are owned by the corporation.

Finance committee  I think social housing is a national responsibility. We understand that housing is going to be delivered through the provinces, and that's fine. We have no problem with that. But we still feel that there is a very real role for the federal government to play in ensuring the moneys that go toward providing that housing are available and that guidelines are attached to those moneys to ensure that the people in need in this country are being served by these moneys.

Finance committee  Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to be here today. My name is Ken Elliott. I am the president of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada. I live in the Eastwood Housing Co-op in Woodstock, New Brunswick, where for the last 15 years I've had the privilege of raising my children as a single parent and experiencing first-hand what a community, in particular a co-op community, is all about.