Last week, CHRA was hard at work conveying Housing for All messages to those in the highest offices, including participation in Minister of Finance Bill Morneau’s Pre-Budget Consultation in Toronto and an in depth meeting with Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Jean-Yves Duclos in Ottawa.
During the pre-budget consultation hosted by Canada’s Public Policy Forum, Minister Morneau heard from three diverse panels on the topics of innovation, climate change, and infrastructure. CHRA was pleased to see other prominent national groups, such as FCM and the Climate Action Network bring up the need to invest in affordable and social housing. CHRA also took advantage for this opportunity to connect with relevant stakeholders and decision makers at the event, who were eager to learn more about CHRA’s asks.
CHRA also attended an introductory meeting with Minister Duclos, his Parliamentary Secretary Terry Duguid and ministerial staff. During this gathering, CHRA explained its asks, emphasizing the need for immediate as well as strategic long term investments, in both building and repairing of social housing throughout the country. The Minister made it clear that he intended to work very closely with CHRA and like-minded groups to ensure that the proper investments were made in the housing sector.
CHRA continues to meet with many other decisions makers to advance its pre-budget asks, and so far is pleased by the government’s high level of openness. Stay tuned for the release of CHRA’s pre-budget brief.
Have you submitted yours yet? CHRA is calling on all Canadians to fill out the Minister of Finance’s online pre-budget questionnaire by indicating that investments in affordable housing and to end homelessness must be prioritized in 2016.
