MP Marie-Claude Morin releases bill calling for national housing strategy
February 17, 2012
NDP MP and Housing Critic Marie-Claude Morin has just released a private member’s bill, which calls for a national housing strategy. The bill - An Act to ensure secure, adequate, accessible and affordable housing for Canadians – is similar to the now defunct bill C-304, which expired in the spring of 2011 because the federal election was called. “With 1.5 million households in Canada unable to access housing that’s safe and affordable to them, this bill couldn’t be more timely” said CHRA President Bruce Pearce. “This bill is important because, if passed into law, it would kickstart a process through which Minister Finley would work with all stakeholders to establish a national housing strategy. In fact, it reflects what CHRA and its partners have been calling on the federal government to do for a very long time. A national housing strategy is a critical first step towards ensuring every Canadian has a home which meets their needs and is affordable to them”.
Specifically, if passed into law, the bill would require the Minister responsible for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) to consult with the provincial and territorial ministers responsible for municipal affairs and housing, representatives of municipalities, Aboriginal communities, non-profit and private sector housing providers and civil society organizations in order to establish a national housing strategy. “Consulting with a range of stakeholders is essential because particular population groups are more likely to be unable to access affordable housing, like lone-parent families, new immigrants, seniors and Aboriginal households” said CHRA Executive Director Jody Ciufo.
The bill likewise focuses on homelessness, and would mandate the development of targets to end homelessness.
The bill refers to housing with respect to:
- Adequacy, defined as housing that is habitable and structurally sound.
- Accessibility, defined as housing that is physically adapted to the individuals who are intended to occupy it.
- Affordability, defined as housing that is available at a cost that does not compromise an individual’s ability to meet other basic needs.
The emphasis of this bill - national housing priorities – will be discussed by 300-plus housing leaders from across Canada at an interactive session at CHRA Congress in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador on May 3, 2012. Congress delegates will, together, outline what actions need to be taken so that all Canadians have a place to call home.
Read the NDP Press Release, which references CHRA, here.