QUESTION PERIOD — Infrastructure and Communities
Affordable Housing
November 21, 2024
Senator Gold, Montreal nearly declared a state of emergency for our homeless this week. While the mayor acknowledged the urgency of the matter, she expressed that declaring a state of emergency would not be the most effective approach. She emphasized the need for collaboration with provincial and federal governments to secure additional resources and support for the city’s homeless population.
What steps is the federal government taking to collaborate effectively with provinces and municipalities to streamline housing policies and accelerate the creation of affordable housing for Canadians? With housing affordability reaching a critical tipping point, many Canadians are struggling to secure adequate housing. While various provincial and municipal initiatives aim to address this crisis, stronger federal leadership and intergovernmental collaboration are essential.
Thank you for your question, senator.
The government has launched Solving the Housing Crisis: Canada’s Housing Plan, which lays out an ambitious whole-of-government approach to addressing the housing crisis by building more homes, making it easier to own or rent a home and helping Canadians who cannot afford a home. Specific to streamlining housing policies with provinces and municipalities through the Housing Accelerator Fund, as colleagues would know, the government finalized 179 agreements with municipalities across the country to fast-track approval for homes.
Additionally, in our hometown of Montreal, the government recently announced an investment of nearly $71 million for the construction of 207 purpose-built rental units. Just last week, the federal government provided nearly $364 million in investments to the four projects to help build 989 units in Montreal.
Thank you for that answer and for those investments.
While collaboration is essential, the federal government’s role in funding and setting policy is pivotal. Given the significant delays often associated with federal housing programs, can you provide a timeline for when Canadians can expect to see tangible results from these various initiatives?
Furthermore, what specific measures is the government implementing to ensure that funding reaches the communities that need it most, without unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles?
Thank you for your question.
In addition to the other measures I’ve described here — including work to provide easier-to-build, easier-to-design and easier-to-approve housing — in the context of the 179 agreements with municipalities, I understand that this is designed to build 107,000 additional homes over the next three years and unlock over 750,000 new homes for Canadians over the next decade.
