NDP statement on World Homeless Day 2023

NDP critic for Housing Jenny Kwan issued the following statement:

“On this World Homeless Day, New Democrats reiterate their call on the Liberal government to make historic investments to make sure everyone in Canada has a safe home they can afford.

On average, 235,000 Canadians experience homelessness every year. Some are sleeping on the street or in emergency shelters. Many more are sleeping on a friend’s couch, or trapped in a violent relationship they cannot afford to leave. Disproportionate barriers are faced by women, youth, veterans, LGBTQ2+ people, seniors, Indigenous and racialized people. In Vancouver alone, homelessness has increased by 32 per cent since 2020. In Toronto, we have seen refugees sleeping on the street because the federal government refused to provide them with the shelter they need. Countless people are struggling to pay rent. Long time tenants are being renovicted. And the dream of home ownership has evaporated.

We are in this housing crisis because for 30 years, Liberal and Conservative governments chose to prioritize wealthy developers and corporate landlords to turn bigger profits and treated homes as a commodity instead of a human right.

And while the Liberals promised to tackle chronic homelessness as part of the National Housing Strategy, they are on track to miss every one of their targets.

The NDP believes that, while the private sector has a role to play to build more homes, faster, any federal government funding should be focused on apartments that people can afford, not apartments that are out-of-reach and allow rich investors to pocket even more profits. What is lacking both the Liberals’ and Conservatives’ approach to housing is that they are only focused on the private sector when we desperately need the non-profit sector to play a much bigger role if we want to reach the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's target of 3.5 million new homes by 2030.

On this World Homeless Day, the NDP is calling on the Liberal government to make historic investments in non-market housing, to take on corporate landlords to stop the housing profiteering, provide a second top-up to the Canada Housing Benefit to those in greatest need, and to work with our community partners to provide wrap-around supports for those who need them.”