HANSARD: Order Questions on immigration processing backlog
HANSARD: As it turns to winter, will the Liberals roll out the housing funds now to save lives?
House of Commons Hansard #256 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session
Housing
Oral Questions
November 27th, 2023 / 2:30 p.m.
Jenny Kwan Vancouver East, BC
Oral Questions
November 27th, 2023 / 2:30 p.m.
Jenny Kwan Vancouver East, BC
NDP
Mr. Speaker, the housing crisis is escalating across the country. In Halifax, homelessness is on the rise. As winter approaches, urgent calls to repurpose empty buildings as affordable homes are mounting, yet the Liberals are so out of touch with reality that they are delaying much-needed resources to get homes built until 2025. Under the corporate-controlled Conservatives, 800,000 affordable low-cost rental apartments were lost to housing profiteers to turn a bigger profit.
As it turns to winter, snow and freezing rain mean people will die of exposure. Will the Liberals roll out the housing funds now to save lives?
Chrystia Freeland Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, the housing crisis is escalating across the country. In Halifax, homelessness is on the rise. As winter approaches, urgent calls to repurpose empty buildings as affordable homes are mounting, yet the Liberals are so out of touch with reality that they are delaying much-needed resources to get homes built until 2025. Under the corporate-controlled Conservatives, 800,000 affordable low-cost rental apartments were lost to housing profiteers to turn a bigger profit.
As it turns to winter, snow and freezing rain mean people will die of exposure. Will the Liberals roll out the housing funds now to save lives?
Chrystia Freeland Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
Liberal
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for her very hard work on this issue and for her concern. It is a concern we share. That is why, over the past few months alone, we have put in place measures that will lead to the building of more than 100,000 new rental units. That includes lifting the GST on all purpose-built rental construction. It includes adding $15 billion of financing to the apartment loan construction program. It includes another $1 billion for the housing co-investment fund for affordable housing.
We need to build and that is what we are doing.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for her very hard work on this issue and for her concern. It is a concern we share. That is why, over the past few months alone, we have put in place measures that will lead to the building of more than 100,000 new rental units. That includes lifting the GST on all purpose-built rental construction. It includes adding $15 billion of financing to the apartment loan construction program. It includes another $1 billion for the housing co-investment fund for affordable housing.
We need to build and that is what we are doing.
