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Housing

Question period focused on housing construction and affordability. Conservative members pointed to CMHC figures showing housing starts down this year and asked whether the government still plans to build 500,000 homes a year, said only a small share of announced homes are actually under construction, questioned spending on housing abroad, and argued that federal programs favour rental construction and big cities over home ownership and rural regions. Liberal ministers replied that over 19,000 affordable homes are underway through Build Canada Homes, that $1.5 billion was spent to protect 7,000 affordable rental units, that the GST cut on new homes will save buyers money, and that programs support Quebec’s regions, pointing to summer tours there. Liberals also noted the Conservatives voted against Build Canada Homes and said more affordability measures would be announced on November 5.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

11 statements

Jacob Mantle

Conservative
“The government's housing agency says we are building fewer homes this year than last year. I want to know if the Prime Minister still plans to build 500,000 new homes a year, or if he has given up on that goal.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister promised what he called the most ambitious housing plan since the Second World War, Canadians can be forgiven for assuming that meant more homes, not fewer, but the Liberals’ own housing agency, the CMHC, says that housing starts are down this year and that Canada is on track to build fewer homes this year than last year. It says the key risk is that we will not build enough. Is it still the Liberal government’s promise to build 500,000 new homes per year, or has the Prime Minister abandoned that target?

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Gregor Robertson

Liberal
“We are focused on building affordable housing. We have over 19,000 affordable homes underway right now, and we plan to build many more so Canadians can buy or rent them. We need the opposition to support us so we can do this faster.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, we are very focused on delivering affordable housing for Canadians, as seen by Build Canada Homes start-ups. We have over 19,000 homes now under way with Build Canada Homes, affordable non-market homes that are scaling up. We are going to continue to extend that work, and we are going to give Canadians every opportunity to buy or rent an affordable home. We are going to scale this work as aggressively as possible, and particularly if we have support from the members opposite, we will be able to go faster and farther.

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Jacob Mantle

Conservative
“The government talks about housing but gets little built. Only 2,000 homes are being built here right now, yet the government just spent $7.8 million on housing in the Dominican Republic. Canadians cannot afford homes. Why are their taxes paying for housing in another country?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, for all the talk and all the announcements, by the minister’s own admission there are only 19,000 homes, but only 2,000 are actually under construction. That is all talk and no action. This week, the Liberals announced a new housing project, and I thought maybe we are going to get some progress. The announcement was $7.8 million for affordable housing, but, oops, it is gender-equitable affordable housing in the Dominican Republic. Why are Canadian taxpayers paying for gender-equitable housing in the Dominican Republic when they cannot afford a home at all?

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Gregor Robertson

Liberal
“The member opposite is not paying attention. He and his colleagues do not support spending money on affordable housing, and they voted against Build Canada Homes.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, clearly the member opposite is not paying attention. Not only do the member opposite and his colleagues not support investing in affordable housing, but they voted against Build Canada Homes. They voted against— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

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Gregor Robertson

Liberal
“The opposition does not care about affordable housing. We do. Last month, we spent $1.5 billion to protect 7,000 affordable rental homes. I doubt the opposition will support this.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the noise from the other side illustrates that the members of the opposition do not care about affordable housing. They do not care that Canadians need housing. This side of the House continues to advance, to push hard for affordable housing to be delivered and to work with provinces and territories. Last month, we launched the Canada rental protection fund, $1.5 billion for 7,000 affordable rental homes that are protected. Are we going to see support from the other side? I do not think so.

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Dan Muys

Conservative
“The government's housing plan is failing. Housing starts dropped 11% in September, and fewer homes are being built despite more government spending. I want the government to admit that its plan has failed.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised Canadians the most ambitious housing plan since the Second World War, yet his own government’s numbers tell a different story. According to CMHC, housing starts dropped 11% in the month of September. After a year and a half of more spending, more bureaucracy and more Liberal promises, fewer homes are being built, while home ownership slips further out of reach. How many more young Canadians must give up on the dream of home ownership before the Liberals admit their plan has failed?

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Gregor Robertson

Liberal
“Housing is hard across the world right now, but our plan is working. Cities are building more homes. We cut the GST on new homes, which can save buyers in Ontario up to $200,000. Conservatives do not support this, but we will keep taking action on housing.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, there are some basic facts around the housing market that we are challenged with as a country right now and that many other countries are challenged with. The world is struggling with uncertainty, and we have to focus on delivering on affordable housing. If we look at the results across the country, we have successful cities that are increasing their housing starts. We have some markets that are slow. We are intervening. We put GST on the table across the country right now. In Ontario, one can save up to $200,000 on a new home. That is significant action. That is not being supported by Conservatives. On this side, we will continue to take action on housing—

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Gabriel Hardy

Conservative

Linked statement

“Liberal housing programs push builders to make rentals instead of houses. This makes homes too expensive for young people to buy. The government needs to admit its housing plan is failing.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I had a really interesting meeting this week with Quebec real estate professionals. They explained how CMHC’s programs, which are run by the Liberals, encourage the construction of rental housing. What does this mean? It means that developers are being encouraged to build rental housing; new single-family homes are at a disadvantage in the programs; existing homes that come onto the market cost a fortune; and when our young people want to purchase a home, the price is so high that they cannot get financing. Will the Liberal government acknowledge that its plan to help people access home ownership is not working?

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Caroline Desrochers

Liberal
“Our government is making housing more affordable. Housing costs are coming down, construction is up, and we are making deals to build more homes across the country. We will announce more help on November 5. The Conservatives are not doing the work.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we focus on the facts. We say this every day. I invite the member to be in the House on November 5, when we will be proposing even more measures to help with housing affordability. The cost of housing is coming down, as the Minister of Housing has said several times. Housing construction has increased, including in Montreal. We are signing agreements across Canada to build more housing. We launched the Canada rental protection fund to maintain the affordable housing stock. We on this side of the House are working to maintain affordability. Where are the Conservatives? Obviously, they are nowhere to be seen.

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Gabriel Hardy

Conservative
“Most Quebeckers believe buying a home is impossible. The government's housing programs focus only on big cities, not regional areas like mine. I want the government to fix its housing policies to fit the needs of ordinary people in the regions.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals want facts, so here are a few: 85% of Quebeckers feel pessimistic about home ownership, while nearly 70% of Quebeckers believe that buying a home in their area is impossible and that the situation has gotten worse over the past five years. The Liberals’ answer to that problem is more red tape and even fewer results. Their programs are being designed around large-scale real estate projects in big cities, but circumstances are different in regions like mine. Our businesses are looking for workers. Our young people want to settle in the regions. Families want to own their own home, not continue renting for the rest of their lives. When will the Liberals realize that their programs are not working and design their policies to reflect what ordinary people, like those in Montmorency—Charlevoix, are facing?

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Caroline Desrochers

Liberal
“Our housing plan supports Quebec's regions, not just big cities. The minister and I toured these areas, and projects are already being built to give them what they need. We are doing real work while the Conservatives just vote against everything.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I would once again invite the member opposite to make sure he has his facts straight before making statements like that in the House. The minister and I spent the summer touring the regions of Quebec. We visited Carleton‑sur‑Mer, Chicoutimi and the Gaspé. We made announcements, and some projects are currently in the construction phase. We took the needs of the regions into consideration to ensure that Build Canada Homes includes the regions and can build what they need. It is extremely important that we revitalize the regions, keep people in the regions and build the necessary infrastructure. We are here at work with real programs. The Conservatives just vote against everything we do.

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