QUESTION PERIOD — Finance
Cost of Living
May 23, 2024
Leader, the ongoing affordability crisis is hurting seniors in my province of British Columbia. Last year, United Way British Columbia released a report that stated almost one in five senior‑led renter households were spending 50% or more of their income on housing, meaning their housing was precarious.
The report showed an increasing number of these seniors had worked all their lives, yet now they found themselves homeless or on the verge of homelessness for the first time.
Leader, given there are many housing photo ops in B.C., how many homes that seniors can afford has the Trudeau government built in the province so far this year?
Thank you for the question. Unfortunately, it’s not only in your province of British Columbia that Canadians — seniors and others in different age cohorts — are finding it challenging, with a tight rental market and with rents that are difficult for people to manage.
I don’t have the answer to your question in terms of houses actually being built in British Columbia, but I will repeat that the measures this government has taken in terms of the accelerator funds, as well as with the work it is doing with the provinces and municipalities to encourage them and incentivize them — quite frankly — with funds to streamline their processes, will bear fruit. The government is committed to continuing on that path.
I do agree with you that this is a national crisis, not just in B.C. But according to the Food Banks Canada report released on Wednesday, the poverty rate among B.C. seniors who live alone is 14.3%. The report describes this as very worrying.
Leader, if the Trudeau government has a plan that’s working — as you say — then why are so many seniors in my province unable to afford groceries or housing?
To be clear, senator, I said that the plan and the actions that the government is taking within its jurisdiction, including massive investments through its spending power, are going to bear fruit because this is what the government is able to do. It is doing this in partnership with the provinces, territories and municipalities that have the primary responsibility, whether it’s for housing or other measures dealing with affordability issues concerning all Canadians.
