Liberals detail $40B for 10-year national housing strategy, introduce Canada Housing Benefit

The federal government has announced the details of its ten-year national housing strategy, which includes the introduction of a housing benefit for families that won’t kick in until after the next federal election. “This is a@ new, innovative plan that reestablishes the role the federal government must play in housing,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in announcing the plan in Toronto. “Housing rights are human rights, everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home.” The ambitious plan promises to tackle everything from homelessness, the shortage of new housing units and repairs to existing units over the next decade, including: Building 100,000 new affordable housing units. Repairing 300,000 affordable housing units. Cutting chronic homelessness by 50 per cent. Protecting 385,000 households from losing an affordable home. Providing 300,000 households with financial assistance through the Canada Housing Benefit. Removing 530,000 households from housing need. Most of the funding for the plan was already announced in the 2017 budget and will therefore not have any impact on the federal government’s fiscal plan. The exception is the $4 billion Canada Housing Benefit, which the federal government says will help families by providing an average rent subsidy of $2,500 annually beginning in April 2020 and concluding in 2028.Half of the $4 billion that will be spent by 2028 will come from the provinces and territories with the other half coming from the federal government. The government says the benefit will help support 300,000 households by 2028. Ottawa to build 100,000 new affordable units, recognize housing as ‘fundamental right ‘ New housing strategy could cut into child poverty rates, groups say The strategy was developed with a genderbased analysis and promises to provide affordable housing for senior women and women fleeing domestic abuse. Some 25 per cent of investments under the strategy will be targeted towards women and girls.