Housing reality check: Canada behind on building housing for marginalized communities, advocates say
The federal government has spent about half of the $82.5 billion in its National Housing Strategy funding and has now spent all of its funds that it had set aside to build low-income rental units for vulnerable people.
The Liberals' 10-year National Housing Strategy, launched in 2017, aims to build up the housing supply and address homelessness through partnerships with non-profits, developers and other governments.
As of Sept. 30, the government has spent $38.89 billion of its $82.5-billion National Housing Strategy, according to figures provided to CTV National News by the Office of the Minister of Housing.
The data also reveals that the government has spent the entirety of its $4-billion Rapid Housing Initiative, which is designed to reduce homelessness by directly funding the construction of low-income housing for marginalized groups such Indigenous people, LGBTQ youth and single mothers.
Although the funding spent for affordable units is small compared to the $82.5-billion total, the government has sped up its allocation of the funds ahead of its March 31, 2024, deadline.
According to the data provided by Housing Minister Sean Fraser's staff, since 2020, the $4-billion fund has helped build more than 15,600 rental apartments at a cost of about $250,000 per unit.
Fraser’s staff said that when the fund was initially announced three years ago, the target was to build 12,000 units, which the Liberal government has already surpassed.
"When we are dealing with affordable housing projects, the federal government is contributing to the cost of constructing the buildings," Fraser said on Wednesday. "It's very expensive to build housing."
The new low-income rental units are in various stages of construction. But housing advocates say while welcome, they're just a drop in the bucket of what is needed.
According to the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH), an estimated 300,000 people, who can only afford subsidized housing, are in shelters, on the streets or "couch surfing" across Canada.
"Homelessness is surging in Canada today because the whole rental housing market is unaffordable," Tim Richter, founder and head of the Calgary-based housing advocacy group, told CTV National News. "For people experiencing homelessness, housing has to be affordable."
CAEH estimates that at least two million rental units need to be built to meet demand and drive down costs. Of the millions of homes that need to be built, Richter says as many as 650,000 rental units should be geared toward people in lower income brackets who require social assistance.
Richter said those on income support can only afford rent that's less than $500 a month. Affordable rent is defined by housing advocates as 30 per cent of gross monthly income.
According to Rentals.ca's latest report, asking rents in Canada averaged $2,178 in October.
Rents hit a new high for the sixth month in a row. It also found average asking rents rose by 8.8 per cent, or by $175 per month, in the last six months.
Richter says the federal government is "on track" with investing towards building up to 160,000 new homes as one of the goals of its National Housing Strategy and some programs like the Rapid Housing Initiative have beat their targets.
However, he says creating affordable units is a problem.
"The challenge is most of the units they are creating under the NHS are not affordable to people in deepest core housing need, and Canada is losing affordable rental housing far faster than it is being produced," he said in an email to CTVNews.ca.
The National Housing Strategy promises to produce about 160,000 new units, Richter explained, but between 2011 and 2021, Canada lost more than 550,000 units that could be rented for less than $750 per month.
Since Aug. 1, the government has announced at least 24 low-income housing projects across Canada.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called the announcements "photo ops at the expense of Canadian taxpayers" during question period in Ottawa on Wednesday.
"The irony is the leader of the Opposition is attacking us for making announcements on thousands upon thousands of new units built across the country," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in response.
According to the government's latest figures for its National Housing Strategy, more than 151,803 new housing units were created or committed since Sept. 30, 344,489 community housing units were protected, and 30 per cent of funding was allocated for the housing needs of women and their children.
Some figures in this story have been adjusted based on new information from the federal government.
IN DEPTH
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Supports for passengers, farmers, artists: 7 bills from MPs and Senators to watch in 2024
When parliamentarians return to Ottawa in a few weeks to kick off the 2024 sitting, there are a few bills from MPs and senators that will be worth keeping an eye on, from a 'gutted' proposal to offer a carbon tax break to farmers, to an initiative aimed at improving Canada's DNA data bank.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Missing 3-year-old boy found dead in creek in Mississauga, Ont.: police
A three-year-old boy has been found dead a day after he went missing in a park in Mississauga, Ont., Peel police say.
Celine Dion delivers stirring comeback performance at Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Against the rainy Paris night sky, Celine Dion staged the comeback of her career with a powerful performance from the Eiffel Tower to open the Olympic Games.
Jasper wildfire: 'Several weeks' before residents can return, premier says
Premier Danielle Smith said Friday afternoon in Hinton while weather conditions are cooler, the Jasper fire is still considered out of control and that Jasper residents can expect to be away from their homes 'for several weeks.'
Irish museum pulls Sinead O'Connor waxwork after just one day due to backlash
An Irish museum will withdraw a waxwork of singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor just one day after installing it, following a backlash from her family and the public, it told CNN in a statement on Friday.
Winnipeg senior's account overdrawn for $146,000 water bill
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six-figure water bill.
FBI says Trump was indeed struck by bullet during assassination attempt
Nearly two weeks after Donald Trump's near assassination, the FBI confirmed Friday that it was indeed a bullet that struck the former president's ear, moving to clear up conflicting accounts about what caused the former president's injuries after a gunman opened fire at a Pennsylvania rally.
Driver charged after flashing high beams at approaching police
Orillia OPP arrested and charged a driver with impaired driving after flashing their high beams.
Powerful cartel leader 'El Mayo' Zambada was lured onto airplane before arrest in U.S., AP source says
A powerful Mexican drug cartel leader who eluded authorities for decades was duped into flying into the U.S., where he was arrested alongside a son of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, according to a U.S. law enforcement official familiar with the matter.
Turpel-Lafond won't sue CBC over Cree heritage report that took 'heavy toll': lawyer
The lawyer for a former judge whose claims to be Cree were questioned in a CBC investigation says his client is not considering legal action against the broadcaster after the Law Society of British Columbia this week backed her claims of Indigenous heritage.
Local Spotlight
'She led it the whole way': 18-year-old B.C. woman leads hikers to safety in Jasper National Park
As fire threatened people in Jasper National Park, Colleen Knull sprung into action.
'There's mom and dad's house': New video appears to show destruction of Jasper neighbourhood
Video posted to social media on Thursday morning appears to show the charred remains of a Jasper, Alta., neighbourhood.
Sask. Second World War veteran, 103, receives France's highest national order
A Saskatchewan-born veteran of the Second World War was recently presented with France's highest national order.
Former First Nations chief voices Disney's first Ojibwe language Star Wars movie
A local First Nations elder and veteran is helping to bring the Ojibwe language to a well-known film for the first time.
Ottawa Humane Society reunites Montreal family with cat missing for 8 years
A cat who fled her Montreal home nearly a decade ago has been reunited with her family after being found in Ottawa.
Waterloo, Ont. woman out thousands after car totalled in hit-and-run
A woman in Waterloo, Ont. is out thousands of dollars for a car crash she wasn’t involved in.
'It looks scary, but they're harmless': Bees removed from Winnipeg street light
A swarm of bees living in a lamppost in Winnipeg’s Sage Creek neighbourhood has found a new home for its hive.
'Powerful symbol of the progress we have made': Land being returned to Manitoba Métis Federation
Around 100 acres of Manitoba Crown Land near the Saskatchewan border is being returned to the Métis community.
Cape Breton moose hunting suspended for 3 years due to 'significant' drop in population
Nova Scotia is suspending the licensed Cape Breton moose hunt for three years due to what the province is calling a “significant drop” in the population.