Human Resources committee  Allowing secondary suites can make a huge difference in communities. It has made all the difference in many urban communities.

Human Resources committee  Yes, in 2009.

Human Resources committee  Our goal is to get to 500 homes per year in Canada within the next four or five years, together with an equal number internationally. We have a large international program. In Canada our immediate goal is 500. That's just a drop in the bucket, and we realize that, but in the 72 c

Human Resources committee  You could say we are a bank. It is a revolving fund that needs to be capitalized on an ongoing basis. When we can't get affordable land, then we have to raise more cash in order to buy the land we need. There's a tremendous amount of fundraising required to bring more money into

Human Resources committee  Proper zoning and bylaws could easily put Habitat for Humanity out of business. For example, many municipalities have zoned certain areas so that developers have to include 5% of affordable housing in any new development. Of course, developers fight that like mad, because it's no

Human Resources committee  We're always looking for below-market or donated land, of course, including from the surplus federal real property homelessness initiative, SFRPHI, which is under HRSDC. It has been some years since we've been able to access suitable land from that program, because a lot of it te

Human Resources committee  It is a big problem in Victoria and Toronto and other major cities, but really it is the biggest problem that all of our 72 affiliates across the country face, even the rural ones. Affordable land is the biggest obstacle.

Human Resources committee  I wouldn't say leaving behind; I would say Habitat for Humanity plays an important role in the housing continuum. In case you don't know what that includes, it ranges from emergency shelter, to transition housing, to non-market rentals, to market rentals, to affordable home own

Human Resources committee  Our priority is households with children, including households headed by single parents. We don't often reach out to single people or seniors. We have limited capacity in terms of the number of housing units we can provide in a year, and we feel that we really want to focus on th

Human Resources committee  That's right. They're usually slightly below. It probably applies to the top 5% of people who are in core housing need.

Human Resources committee  In the Toronto area, approximately 20% of the population is in core housing need. The percentage that would qualify for a Habitat home would be much smaller, because we work at the higher end of the low-income scale. We work with people who are just under the poverty line but sti

Human Resources committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for this opportunity. Habitat for Humanity Canada believes that the development of a national poverty reduction plan and a national housing plan are top priorities. Sufficient federal funding needs to reach t