A national housing strategy?
- 31.07.2007
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The Canadian Real Estate Association is calling on the national Conservative Party caucus to include development of a national housing strategy as part of the federal government’s fall agenda. The caucus meets August 1 st to 3 rd in Charlottetown.
In a letter to Monte Solberg, the Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, CREA CEO Pierre Beauchamp says without a cohesive national housing strategy, home ownership may no longer be a realistic dream of Canadians. Mr. Solberg is also the Minister responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing.
“While statistics suggest that Canada enjoys a high rate of ownership, there are some concerning trends emerging behind these numbers that show home ownership is an increasingly difficult goal to obtain by certain segments of the population,” writes Mr. Beauchamp. “Younger Canadians are having difficulty in accessing home ownership. Research by the Vanier Institute of the Family shows that the rate of home ownership for households aged 34 and under fell from 44 per cent in 1981 to 41 per cent in 2001. For those aged 35 to 44, the rate of ownership dropped from 72 per cent to 67 per cent over the same period.”
The CREA letter also notes that home ownership rates are dropping among new Canadians. Research by Michael Haan of the University of Alberta shows that ownership rates among immigrants fell from 62.9 per cent in 1981 to 57.9 per cent in 2001.
The letter to the federal Minister notes that some existing programs, including the Home Buyers’ Plan, operate independently of one another, and there is no way to ensure they can reach their effective potential and address new and existing needs of Canadians.
“What is missing in Canada today is a comprehensive and cohesive national housing strategy “ one that covers the entire housing continuum,” Pierre Beauchamp added. “While measures to support and encourage home ownership must be a central component of an effective national strategy, it must also address the needs of those who rent, those who require assisted housing, and the homeless.”
