OTTAWA – The Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA) today welcomed the announcement made late yesterday by the Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children, and Social Development launching a national consultation to develop a National Housing Strategy.  The Minister made the announcement at the conclusion of the meeting of federal, provincial, and territorial Ministers of Housing in Victoria.

The need for a National Housing Strategy in Canada is great.  Over the past 25 years, Canada’s population has increased by 30% while the annual federal investment in affordable housing decreased by 46%.  1 in 4 Canadian households cannot afford their housing.  Nearly 235,000 Canadians experience homelessness every year.  Federal operating agreements for social and affordable housing providers are already expiring, and are set to reach zero by 2040.  At minimum, over 100,000 affordable housing units are required to make up for previous backlogs, and there is a backlog to renovate the existing affordable housing stock that is in many cases 40, 50 or 60 years old.

“We look forward to working with the federal government, and to hearing from our members on ideas and innovations to inform a National Housing Strategy,” said Jeff Morrison, Executive Director of CHRA.  “CHRA will be launching an engagement process with our own membership to help inform our response to this consultation.  It’s important for housing providers, municipalities, tenants, the urban/non-reserve Aboriginal sector, and other key stakeholders to have their voices heard as part of this consultation process”, he added.

More information on the federal consultation can be found at www.letstalkhousing.ca.

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For more information, please contact:

Jeff Morrison, Executive Director
613-594-3007, ext 11
jmorrison@chra-achru.ca

 

CHRA’s members include housing providers, municipalities, businesses, all 13 provincial and territorial housing departments, service and support agencies, individuals, students and other housing-related associations and networks.

 

chra-achru.ca @CHRA_ACHRU