Statement made on 23 March 2011 by Senator Art Eggleton
Hon. Art Eggleton:
Honourable senators, my question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate.
Honourable senators, last year, the Senate unanimously adopted a report on poverty, housing and homelessness. It was a bipartisan effort. Contained in that report were several recommendations on housing. One of them was to continue with the Affordable Housing Initiative, which was the main program in which new affordable housing was constructed for people in need in this country. Another program was the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program. Both these programs have existed for a number of years. The Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program was instrumental in helping to preserve and renovate housing for low-income people, as well as providing rental accommodation in that housing. Both of these programs are scheduled to terminate at the end of this fiscal year. They are sunsetted. There was nothing yesterday's budget to renew or replace those programs.
Honourable senators, there are 4 million Canadians in need of decent, affordable housing. What will the government do to replace these programs and provide affordable housing to low-income Canadians?
The budget talked about everything the government has done in the past four years. Please do not talk about that; I read that. What will be done for these people from here on?
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