Office of the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, P.C., M.P. Minister of Families, Children and Social Development 140 Promenade du Portage Phase IV, 14th Floor Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0J2
August 31, 2017
Dear Minister Duclos:
As leading organizations in the fight against poverty and homelessness in Canada, we are writing to urge that your government take action on a new National Housing Benefit that can effectively address the immediate and growing gap between household budgets and the basic cost of rent. A new portable housing benefit would be a historic next step in Canada’s efforts towards greater fairness and opportunity for all Canadians. In his November 2015 mandate letter, the Prime Minister charged you with leading a first-ever federal poverty reduction strategy for Canada. One of the first major investments of your government, the Canada Child Benefit, is already lifting tens of thousands of households out of poverty just two years into implementation. The ten-year renewal of the Homelessness Partnering Strategy promises to significantly reduce the trauma of homelessness in this country. And a National Housing Strategy, expected this fall, will further advance the goals of fairness and opportunity. Now is the time for the government to build on the fight against poverty. Today, more than 1.5-million households in our country are struggling to afford their housing. Rising income inequality, a challenging labour market and scarcity of rental housing stock people can afford, has created a crisis that makes too many families vulnerable. Investing in new affordable housing and ensuring that we revitalize existing stock are essential to solving this problem. But supply-side measures alone will not be enough. Direct assistance to renters is the most immediate and effective way to meet your government’s goals of diminishing homelessness and alleviating core housing need. Rent is the single biggest expense for Canadian households living with low incomes. Direct assistance for renters would help households most in need,
Page 1 of 2 complement social housing, and provide a flexible benefit that renters can use regardless of where they live in Canada — all without adding pressure to the already-heated rental market that exists in some Canadian cities. We are calling on your government to work with the provinces and territories to launch a national portable housing benefit that starts by assisting those with greatest need, particularly households currently spending more than 50% of their incomes on housing and Canadians experiencing homelessness. To address your 10-year goal of tackling core housing need, this support should be expanded to provide coverage to other vulnerable households. A national, portable housing benefit would have a real, meaningful impact on the lives of thousands of Canadian households by giving them choice and the means to afford rent. The benefit should become a mutual cornerstone of the National Housing Strategy and Canada’s Poverty Reduction Strategy. Aligned with other investments, a portable housing benefit will set Canada on track to eliminate deep core housing need and lift tens of thousands of households out of poverty. Thank you for the time, attention and compassion that you and your colleagues have brought to this priority issue for Canadians. Sincerely,
Michael Braithwaite Anita Khanna Elisabeth McIsaac Executive Director National Coordinator President Raising the Roof Campaign 2000 Maytree Foundation
Dr. Kwame McKenzie Collette Murphy Gail Nyberg Chief Executive Officer Executive Director Executive Director Wellesley Institute Atkinson Foundation Daily Bread Food Bank
Dr. Jacline Nyman Tim Richter Daniele Zanotti President & CEO Founder, President & CEO President & CEO United Way Centraide Canadian Alliance to End United Way Toronto & Canada Homelessness York Region
Cc: Right Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister; Hon. Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs; Hon. Scott Brison, President of the Treasury Board; Hon. Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development; Hon. Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance; Hon. Jody Wilson-Raybould, Minister of Justice, Attorney General of Canada; Hon. Jane Philpott, Minister of Indigenous Services; Hon. Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport; Hon. Kent Hehr, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities; Hon. Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; Hon. Maryam Monsef, Minister of Status of Women; Hon. Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour; Hon. Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship; Hon. Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health; Hon. Seamus O’Regan, Minister of Veterans Affairs, Associate Minister of National Defence; Adam Vaughan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development (Housing and Urban Affairs)
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