KENORA – During the election, we campaigned on a promise to review housing across the country by consulting with Canadians on a National Housing Strategy. Though the plan is meant to address needs country-wide, it will have a direct impact here in Northwestern Ontario.
With an aging population, it is clear that we need more affordable housing for seniors. There is a growing need for seniors’ apartments or complexes because as we grow older, it becomes more difficult to maintain a home. One of the benefits of investing in affordable housing is that more existing family homes will become available to address the housing shortages faced by young families.
As a part of our National Housing Strategy, we also need to address the issue of the availability of housing for Indigenous people. That’s why we’re committed to developing a long-term approach to support on-reserve housing by engaging with First Nations across the country and in our riding. These are the types of strategic investments that are necessary to improve the lives of Indigenous people in Canada.
I’ve also been working with community members to improve emergency housing across the riding. I’m pleased to say that the Kenora shelter has found a temporary new home in the Northwestern Health Unit, while they develop a plan for a permanent facility. We also recently announced a $3.1 million contribution to the Hoshizaki House project in Dryden. These facilities are essential to providing services and safe havens to those in need. I will continue to work with municipalities throughout the riding to ensure that there are shelters available for people who are in difficult situations.
Overall, many of Northwestern Ontario’s needs fall closely in line with the rest of Canada. We will release the findings of our summer consultations on November 22nd. From there, we will implement a National Housing Strategy in order to help the provinces fill the gaps to address housing across the country.
