In February and March 2017, CHRA partnered with The Tyee to organize two events in British Columbia designed to share and gather ideas and thoughts on housing policy in Canada. 

CHRA has written the Minister responsible for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and the Minister of Indiginous and Northern Affairs, with 2 sets of documents related to the release of the National Housing Strategy this fall.

CHRA today issued the results of a benchmarking study conducted by James Burr and Steve Pomeroy of urban and rural Indigenous housing providers.  The results of the survey point to the need for a distinct urban and rural Indigenous housing strategy.  Download a copy of the report here, and click here for a copy of the accompanying press release.

In October 2016, CHRA submitted its response to the National Housing Strategy consultation, containing many specific recommendations, found here.  On March 22, the federal government unveiled its 2017 Budget which contained announcements totaling $11.2 billion over 11 years for social and affordable housing – the largest single investment in Budget 2017.  Many of the announcements contained in the 2017 Budget mirrored CHRA’s own recommendations.  Click here for a comparison of CHRA’s recommendations in the National Housing Strategy submission versus the announcements contained in Budget 2017.

The following housing-related announcements were contained in the 2017 federal Budget released today by Finance Minister Bill Morneau:

Budget 2017 invests $11.2 billion over 11 years in a variety of initiatives designed to build, renew, and repair Canada’s stock of affordable housing.  This investment is broken down within our article.  Click here to read more.

The Canadian Housing and Renewal Association today applauded the announcements related to social and affordable housing announced by Finance Minister Bill Morneau in the 2017 federal Budget.  The initiatives announced in Budget 2017 closely mirror the recommendations put forth by CHRA in its submission to the 2016 National Housing Strategy consultation.

On February 13, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Jean-Yves Duclos announced an online national consultation on the development of an anti-poverty strategy.  Canadians are invited to share their thoughts and views on this strategy by visiting this page.  

On February 13, CHRA held a one on one meeting with the Minister responsible for housing, the Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos.  The meeting provided an opportunity to restate some of the key themes that CHRA expects to see in the forthcoming National Housing Strategy, including a dedicated research body, a separate housing financing mechanism to focus on housing supply, and the creation of a distinct urban and rural Indigenous housing strategy.  

On February 14, CHRA President Stephan Corriveau and Executive Director Jeff Morrison appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities to discuss the government’s proposed Anti-Poverty Strategy. 

The CHRA, the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, and the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada are pushing the federal government to commit to long-term investment on the scale needed to tackle the housing crisis in Budget 2017.  We are united in the call for a solution that will ensure all Canadians have a safe and affordable place…