1. In Parliament
  2. Videos
  3. Parliament Video: Jenny in the House: Housing First!

Parliament Video: Jenny in the House: Housing First!

On December 9, 2019, I rose in the House of Commons to speak about the national housing crisis. Safe, secure, affordable housing is a basic human right. There is an acute and severe need for the federal government to take immediate action on housing. If federal funds to build housing flow now we can work together to do this - ending homelessness is entirely possible if only parliamentarians have the political will to do it:

Jenny Kwan Vancouver East, BC

"Mr. Speaker, solving the national housing crisis is one of the most important issues that we face. I have long advocated for access to safe, secure, affordable housing as a basic human right.

In 1993, the federal Liberals cancelled the national social housing program. That one action caused Canada to lose more than half a million units of social and co-op housing that would otherwise have been built in communities all across the country. Having those units would have put Canada's housing affordability in a dramatically different position than where we are today. In east Vancouver, the situation is so severe that we have had a tent city in Oppenheimer Park for more than a year.

Solving the homelessness crisis is entirely possible. If people can go to the moon, surely we can actually get housing built. During the election, the NDP called for half a million units of affordable housing to be built and for those funds to flow now. I believe that the federal government must step up and do its part. We need to work with the cities, the province and non-profits to get the housing built. Together, we can end homelessness."

 

https://openparliament.ca/debates/2019/12/9/jenny-kwan-1/

Latest posts

Global News: Israel-Gaza: NDP calls for special immigration measures to reunite Palestinian families in Canada

Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, NDP MP Jenny Kwan described Gaza as “the most dangerous place for children in the world” and called for special immigration measures so that Palestinian families in Canada could be reunited with their loved ones. Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly responded by saying that “too many” children and women have lost their lives, adding that 130 Canadians were able to cross the Rafah border on Sunday night.

More

Are you ready to take action?

Constituent Resources
Mobile Offices
Contact Jenny

Sign up for updates

Vancouver Constituency Office

Email:
Phone: 604-775-5800
Address:
2572 E Hastings
Vancouver, BC, V5K 1Z3

Ottawa Parliamentary Office

Email:
Phone: 613-992-6030
Address:
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
(postage-free)