I would like to provide the Legislative Assembly with an update on provincial and territorial activities currently being undertaken in the area of housing.
Mr. Speaker, the housing challenges facing this Territory and this country are great. The challenges are further compounded by the uncertainties surrounding federal housing funding.
On March 31, 2009, all federal funding for homelessness and repair programs as well as for new construction is scheduled to sunset. This also includes the three housing trusts, including the Northern Housing Trust, which provided $50 million towards our three-year Affordable Housing Initiative. This is in addition to the fact that CMHC funding for public housing continues to decline at a rapid pace.
The impact of this decline in funding is enormous. It will lead to a total shortfall of $339 million over the next 30 years for the N.W.T. alone. Nationally the shortfall is well over $20 billion. As of today the Government of Canada has made no commitment to renew programs that are scheduled to sunset and has given no indication that they are willing to revisit the issue of declining funding. This is despite the fact that the federal government has enjoyed large surpluses in recent years, partly due to savings accrued by CMHC as social housing mortgages are retired.
On February 6, 2008, provincial and territorial Housing Ministers met in Vancouver to discuss the state of social and affordable housing in Canada. Though this was the first meeting of provincial and territorial Housing Ministers since 2006, I’m pleased that this meeting resulted in a unified response to the housing issues facing our territories, provinces and, indeed, the entire country.
Provincial and territorial ministers were disappointed that the federal government, while invited, did not attend these important meetings. Provincial and territorial Ministers are, however, taking action to engage the federal government to address the country’s critical housing issues and are urging the federal government to respond quickly to support the four million Canadians in need.
During the forum, I, along with my fellow Ministers, reaffirmed our collective support for principles adopted in White Point, Nova Scotia, in 2005 that define an effective federal-provincial-territorial partnership to meet the housing needs of Canadians.
These principles include that provinces and territories have responsibility for the design and delivery of housing quality and programs within their own jurisdictions; respect the special relationship and fiduciary responsibility of Canada with First Nations, Metis and Inuit people; recognition of the federal role in housing, such as mortgage insurance, and its pivotal role in research and knowledge transfer; federal consideration of each province and territory as its primary delivery partners on any new and existing federal housing funding; and that the federal government will provide each jurisdiction with the opportunity to participate in cost sharing or delivery or both through bilateral agreements.
It is my desire to see the federal government sign on these principles as an important step to establishing a national housing framework.
I would like to take this opportunity to convey the high level of frustration at the provincial and territorial levels with the lack of federal presence at the forum despite being invited. Minister Solberg rejected an invitation to attend the meeting, despite the fact that a federal Housing Minister has not met with their P-T counterparts in over two and a half years. Along with many of my colleagues, I expressed my strong concern with the lack of federal engagement on this matter at the meeting.
Mr. Speaker, as a result of the pressure placed on the federal government by provinces, territories and third parties to meet on this issue, Ministers received a last-minute commitment for a delegation of Ministers to meet with the federal Minister in Ottawa within 60 days.
If this meeting does in fact take place, I will be attending this meeting and insisting that at a minimum, the federal government make an immediate commitment to increase the level of funding for housing programs, including those set to expire in March 2009. I’m also hopeful that Minister Solberg will agree to establish a federal-provincial-territorial partnership based on the principles agreed to by all provinces and territories.
I left the meeting of Ministers more convinced than ever of the need for all levels of government to place a greater focus on the role housing can play as a contributing factor to improve many social problems. As a result, I feel it is an issue that should be raised in discussion between federal, provincial and territorial Finance Ministers, as well as among First Ministers.
I’m also prepared to take an assertive approach to lobbying the federal government to re-engage with provinces and territories on housing. The province of Newfoundland and Labrador have assumed the chair of the provincial-territorial housing forum, under the leadership of Mr. Shawn Skinner.
I would like to publicly express my support for the more assertive approach to dealing with the federal government that the forum will be taking under the leadership of Mr. Skinner and his officials. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
