Housing is top priority for Waterloo region MPs as they return to Ottawa

The need for affordable housing is a top priority for two Waterloo region MPs, as the fall sitting gets underway in the House of Commons.

Green MP Mike Morrice, who represents Kitchener Centre, says while he's heard "good rhetoric from the federal government" on the housing crisis, he will be spending his time getting them to follow through on both legislation and investments.

"The top issue that is defining our communities [is] the housing crisis, because if folks can't afford to stay here, if young people can't stay here, if the nurse you're hoping will treat you at the hospital can't afford to live in our community, we need to ensure that the rents get back under control and that folks can afford to stay in our community over the long term," Morrice told CBC radio's The Morning Edition.

"We've had three decades of under investment from both provincial and federal levels of government."

Morrice pointed to what he described as "massive pension funds and real estate investment trusts" with people buying up existing affordable housing.

"They would call it a repositioning, which just means raising the rent, kicking people out and making a profit on the backs of folks in our community."

Province aims to build 1.5 million homes by 2031

The Ontario government has set a target of 1.5 million homes built by 2031. It has assigned annual housing targets to 50 municipalities and promised extra funding to those who exceed or get close to them.

In April Kitchener received $14 million from the Ontario government for meeting its 2023 housing targets. The city was credited with breaking ground on 3,579 new housing units last year.

"This is good, really good. And last year the mayor and Kitchener council, they hit it out of the park," Ford said of the city meeting its housing target. 

"The $14 million can be used by the city for community development and infrastructure projects that lay the groundwork for more housing."

Meanwhile, the federal government in August announced $96 million to build and repair affordable homes in southern Ontario, including $24 million for projects in Waterloo region.

"It's about helping Canadians build the lives that they deserve in a home that meets their needs," said Jenna Sudds, minister of families, children and social development.

Social service supports needed

According to Morrice, back in the '70s, 40 per cent of all housing starts had federal money attached. Now, he says it's only "here and there" that you see funds committed.

"We got some new money for co-op housing, for example, but if you look at the co-op housing stock in our community, much of that was built in the '70s and the '80s when the federal and provincial governments were at the table every single year in a dependable way," he said. 

"So, we need to see those investments not as a one-off photo-op, but as a stable, predictable, ongoing commitment. And then we need to see some policy changes. As an example, I've been advocating to get rid of tax incentives for real estate investment trusts who are buying up housing and making it less affordable," he said.

"What we could be doing if we didn't give them that incentive, we could take that $200 million and give it to House of Friendship and the Working Centre and others like them and help them build the housing we need."

Liberal MP Valerie Bradford, who represents Kitchener South-Hespeler, said people in her riding are generally "in a pretty good mood" but "everybody's very concerned with the amount of homelessness in the community."

But on the issue of housing, she said it's not just enough to build the bricks and mortar. 

"Many of these communities need support, social service supports to help them be successful and get out of whatever challenging situation they're dealing with," Bradford said.

"So, that's always a struggle to get that in place and fund that and the appropriate people stepping up to make that happen."

Bradford is also concerned about the potential impact of NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh's decision to pull his party out of the confidence-and-supply agreement with the governing Liberals.

"As the governing party, we will be trying to accomplish as much as we can legislatively for Canadians to make their lives better, more affordable. That's the good work that we're sent down to do," she said.

"So, hopefully we'll find a partner that is of the same mind on each particular bill so that we can get good things accomplished, because I always feel that we're sent to Ottawa to accomplish things, not to not accomplish things."