Media Release: Liberals are falling behind in delivering homes Canadians can afford

OTTAWA—NDP Housing Critic Jenny Kwan issued the following statement in response to a report by the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) on the Liberals’ failure to meet their housing goals for Canadians, while a recent report shows a 10.7 per cent hike in rent prices since one year ago:

“The NDP is echoing a major concern raised by the PBO in a report: the Liberal government is failing further and further behind its own housing goals because it isn’t accounting for inflation. Meanwhile, the Liberal government’s failure to keep up with the housing needs of Canadians amid a housing crisis is contributing to a whopping 10.7 per cent hike in rent year-over-year.

Liberals are falling behind in delivering homes Canadians can afford

OTTAWA—NDP Housing Critic Jenny Kwan issued the following statement in response to a report by the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) on the Liberals’ failure to meet their housing goals for Canadians, while a recent report shows a 10.7 per cent hike in rent prices since one year ago:

“The NDP is echoing a major concern raised by the PBO in a report: the Liberal government is failing further and further behind its own housing goals because it isn’t accounting for inflation. Meanwhile, the Liberal government’s failure to keep up with the housing needs of Canadians amid a housing crisis is contributing to a whopping 10.7 per cent hike in rent year-over-year.

While the Liberals say they’re investing in housing, they're not accounting for what all Canadians are facing right now — the rising cost of everything, including construction materials. Non-profit housing providers are struggling to get projects off the ground under the Co-Investment Fund — a key program in the delivery of social housing. Instead of ensuring that they have the resources to meet inflationary costs, the Minister of Housing is actually cutting the amount of funds that they could access to ensure that the projects remain viable. It makes no sense and it just shows how the Liberals are out of touch with reality.

In addition, the PBO pointed out that there is no standard definition of affordability across the Liberals’ housing programs. As a result, the housing units being produced do not meet the needs of those in greatest need. It's further evidence that the Liberals will not meet their own chronic homelessness targets.

Canadian families are already struggling to find a home they can afford in their own communities. The Liberals’ failure to meet people’s housing needs is unacceptable.

New Democrats will continue to pressure the Liberals to invest the necessary funding and action so that everyone can find a good place they can afford to call home.”

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