Gerard Kennedy

HOUSING CRITIC DEMANDS ACTION ON FEDERAL HOMELESSNESS FUNDING FOR SASKATCHEWAN

Regina – Federal Liberal Housing Critic Gerard Kennedy called on the Harper government today to increase funding for the Saskatchewan programs to prevent and reduce homelessness in the face of rising rents and a tight housing market.

“These funds have not been increased for ten years,” Kennedy said. “It is time for a national housing strategy that brings the federal government to the table to solve homelessness and ensure affordability for all Canadians.”

“The organizations in Regina and elsewhere trying to meet the most basic needs of our most vulnerable seniors, disabled, families in difficulty and other homeless or poorly housed people, are faced with a Harper government who has so far refused to provide one additional dime, despite a 42% growth in federal spending on other things since 2006,” said Kennedy. “We see with the G8 and G20 Summit that the Harper government simply has the wrong spending priorities.”

Kennedy was in Regina today to tour local facilities, such as My Aunt’s Place, meet with the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) executive, municipal leaders (including Mayor Pat Fiacco) and to participate in a roundtable with local housing organizations as part of a cross-Canada dialogue on the need for a national housing strategy.

Fueled by the effects of the recession in some areas and by the byproduct of fast growth in others, the number of people across Canada who are homeless or at risk of being homeless continues to increase. According to Pathways Regina, the average length of stay in Regina shelters has increased by almost 30% since January 2009. Local vacancy rates for rental housing are at 0.6%, while annual rent increases average more than 10% (CMHC, 2009). Many groups providing shelter services are forced to turn away people on a routine basis, including transition houses for women fleeing violence (Source: Regina Community Plan 2007).

Kennedy met with staff and took a tour of My Aunt’s Place, one of several YWCA projects in Regina. This house has a capacity of 22 beds for women who usually stay for about a month, and provides free shelter, food, and assistance with a range of concerns such as transportation and finding permanent housing. My Aunt’s Place has been routinely full since it first opened its doors on November 19, 2009, and staff members are often forced to turn people away.

“Homelessness is a solvable problem. However, the creativity and hard work of civil society groups needs to be matched by federal leadership working in partnership with our provinces, territories and cities,” said Mr. Kennedy. “The Government must commit to the provision of sustainable funding for these crucial programs, and it must do so now.”

Should someone be imprisoned for sharing the views of most Canadians on the Iraq War? That is the question being posed in part by my Bill C-440, soon to be considered at second reading in the House of Commons.

Parliament has voted twice to let Iraq war resisters from the United States stay in Canada. Now the Federal Court of Appeal has added its voice to the debate.

According to a schedule fixed by Ottawa, federal stimulus funding for municipal infrastructure works is to disappear in less than eight months

The federal Liberal infrastructure critic says a new report on the stimulus program proves the Conservative government, not Canadian municipalities, is to blame for a delay that will leave many projects unfinished by March 31.