Canadian News

Government of Canada Provides Housing Support for Almost 1 Million Canadian Families

By PRESS RELEASE

1,000,000 Reasons to Celebrate Housing in Canada

2018 Nov 22, Toronto, ON: Canada’s Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Hon. Jean Yves Duclos, announces Canada’s National Housing Strategy which will result in more than 40 billion of housing investment, in a ten-year period (photo: FWHerald)

TORONTO, ON – Canada has one of the best housing systems in the world. But some 1.7 million families still don’t have a home that meets their basic needs. 

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and the Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) announced on November 22, 2018, the first ever National Housing Strategy, a 10-year- $40 billion program:

“We are working to make sure every Canadian has access to a safe and affordable place to call home. We are committed to making housing more affordable and thanks to the investments made by the Government of Canada, almost 1 million families across Canada have an affordable home. Canada’s first ever National Housing Strategy, a $40 billion program, will build on this success in the years to come.”

–Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

Mr. Adam Vaughan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, in his speech before the media, highlighted the federal government’s investments in housing since 2016:

  • 14,703 new units have been or are being built, 
  • 156,526 units have been or are being repaired, and 
  • 776,233 families or individuals benefited from a more affordable place to live. 

These investments have also already provided more stable housing to 25,769 Canadians who were homeless or at serious risk of homelessness.

“From the very first day of our Government’s mandate, we have made housing a clear priority. And it’s paying off – with real results and real impacts across the country. Today’s announcement shows the progress we’ve made since 2016 and sets a benchmark for future results. Our Government is only getting started. The National Housing Strategy will build on this momentum to benefit even more Canadians in the months and years to come.”

– Adam Vaughan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

Through the National Housing Strategy, the federal government is re-engaging in affordable housing and bringing together the public, private and non-profit sectors to ensure more Canadians have a place to call home.

The strategy will remove 530,000 families from housing need.

The goal of this historic strategy is to make sure Canadians across the country can access housing that meets their needs and that they can afford.

To achieve this goal, the strategy will first focus on the most vulnerable Canadians. This includes women and children fleeing family violence, seniors, Indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, those dealing with mental health and addiction issues, veterans and young adults.

Over the next 10 years, the strategy will cut chronic homelessness in half, remove 530,000 families from housing need and invest in the construction of up to 100,000 new affordable homes.

Quick Facts: 

  • In Ontario alone, the Government of Canada invested $2 billion to support more than 300,000 families since 2016. 
  • These results are now being followed by a first-ever National Housing Strategy that gives additional, stable, longer-term funds to Canada’s affordable housing sector. The National Housing Strategy will result in more than $40 billion of housing investment and more than half a million families being brought out of housing need. 
  • The National Housing Strategy will protect the affordability of 385,000 existing housing units, repair 300,000 affordable homes, build another 100,000, and provide direct support for those in housing need. 
  • The National Housing Strategy will reduce chronic homelessness by 50% and entrench a human rights-based approach to housing in Canada. 
  • The Government consulted Canadians on a human rights-based approach to housing. Through these consultations, Canadians from diverse backgrounds, housing experts and providers, academics, and people with lived experience from across the country shared their thoughts, ideas and feedback about what housing and human rights mean to them. CMHC today released a What We Heard report available on placetocallhome.ca. *** •

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