The federal cabinet is set to discuss the possibility of revisiting the national housing strategy and holding a national housing summit with other levels of government and the private sector to address the growing housing crisis in the country. This topic is being discussed at the cabinet retreat in Charlottetown, as the Liberals plan to make housing the central focus of their efforts in the upcoming fall sitting of Parliament. Today, two housing experts will present their findings from a recent report on the federal government’s role in solving the housing crisis.
The report, released last week, highlights the worsening housing crisis in Canada, primarily due to the lack of accessible and affordable rentals. The authors recommend the development of a new industrial housing strategy that brings together government, private sector, and non-profit agencies to address the overall shortage of housing and the shortage of affordable housing in particular.
Housing Minister Sean Fraser acknowledges that there are various options for how to proceed, but emphasizes that Canadians are focused on seeing concrete action to alleviate their concerns about the cost and availability of housing. The Liberals introduced a national housing strategy in 2017, with a commitment to invest billions over a decade to rebuild Ottawa’s involvement in social housing. In 2019, housing was designated as a human right through legislation.
However, little progress has been made in improving the housing situation, and the post-pandemic cost-of-living crisis, rising interest rates, and rapid population growth are exacerbating the problem. While the report serves as a potential action plan for the cabinet, Fraser indicates that not all recommendations will be immediately embraced.
Census data from 2021 indicates that approximately 10% of the population, or 1.5 million people, are in need of affordable housing. However, social housing accounts for only about 3.5% of the country’s housing stock. The report’s authors propose that Canada should aim to double the proportion of social housing.
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