Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities highlights budget investments to build more homes for Canadians

KINGSTON, ON, April 24, 2024 /CNW/ - The federal government recently delivered Budget 2024: Fairness for Every Generation.

It is a plan to build a Canada that works better for everyone, where younger generations can get ahead, where their hard work pays off, and where they can buy a home—where everyone has a fair chance at a good middle-class life.

Today the Honourable Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities and Mark Gerretsen, Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands, met with the Kingston and Frontenac Housing Corporation in Kingston, Ontario, to highlight Budget 2024's investments that would make more government land available to build homes for Canadians, including:

• Building homes on public lands with the new Public Lands for Homes Plan. The federal government would unlock 250,000 new homes by 2031, by using all tools available to convert public lands to housing (such as unused or underused office towers or parking lots), including leasing, acquiring other public lands for housing, and retaining ownership, whenever possible.
• Building homes on Canada Post properties by taking steps to enable Canada Post to prioritize leasing or divesting post office properties and lands with high potential for housing. This plan would make sure postal service is not disrupted and would maintain Canada Post's role as a "service first" organization focused on delivering the mail.
• Building homes on National Defence lands by exploring the redevelopment of properties that could be suitable for both military and civilian uses, divesting 14 surplus properties with housing potential, and building and renovating housing for Canadian Armed Forces personnel on bases.
• Converting underused federal offices into homes with $1.1 billion over 10 years to transform 50% of the federal office portfolio into housing, which will save $3.9 billion over the next 10 years, with $0.9 billion per year in ongoing savings. This would enable more office buildings, particularly in urban areas, to be converted into homes for Canadians.

First, the budget takes bold action to build more homes. Because the best way to make home prices more affordable is to increase supply—and quickly. It lays out a strategy to unlock 3.87 million new homes by 2031. Key measures include launching the new Public Lands for Homes Plan and the Canada Rental Protection Fund, enhancing the Canadian Mortgage Charter, and creating a new Canadian Renters' Bill of Rights.

Second, it will help make life cost less. The budget builds on the Government's transformative expansion of Canada's social safety net—$10-a-day child care; dental care for uninsured Canadians, the first phase of universal pharmacare—and advances the Government's work to lower everyday costs for Canadians. This includes helping to stabilize the cost of groceries, cracking down on junk fees and lowering the costs of banking. Budget 2024 also makes transformative new investments, including a National School Food Program and the Canada Disability Benefit.

Third, this year's budget will grow the economy in a way that's shared by all. The Government's plan will increase investment, enhance productivity, and encourage innovation. It will create good-paying and meaningful jobs, keep Canada at the economic forefront, and deliver new support to empower more of our best entrepreneurs and innovators. This includes attracting more investment in the net-zero economy by expanding and delivering the major economic investment tax credits, securing Canada's advantage as a leader in artificial intelligence, and investing in enhanced research grants that will provide younger generations with good jobs and new opportunities. And it means ensuring that Indigenous Peoples share in this growth in a way that works for them.

Budget 2024 will also make Canada's tax system fairer by asking the wealthiest to pay a bit more—so that the Government can invest in prosperity for every generation, and because it would be irresponsible and unfair to pass on more debt to the next generations. Budget 2024 is a responsible economic plan that upholds the fiscal objectives outlined in the 2023 Fall Economic Statement, and sees Canada maintain the lowest deficit- and net debt-to-GDP ratios in the G7.

"Our government first came to office with a vow to strengthen and expand the middle class. We delivered on that pledge by reducing poverty, especially for children and seniors, and creating millions of good jobs for Canadians. Our work isn't done. Budget 2024 renews our focus on unlocking the door to the middle class for millions of younger Canadians. We'll build more housing and help make life cost less. We will drive our economy toward growth that lifts everyone up. That is fairness for every generation."
- The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

"Our new housing plan will break down significant barriers to the construction of new homes, notably the scarcity and high cost of land. Unlocking 250,000 new homes by 2031 through the new Public Lands for Homes Plan will directly benefit Canadians from here and across the country. This is the fairness that Canada is working towards, the opportunity for every Canadian, regardless of age, ability, or intersectionality, to have a safe, accessible and affordable place to call home."
- The Honourable Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities

"Today's announcement underscores the groundbreaking impact Budget 2024 will have on Kingston. By leveraging Canada Post properties, National Defence lands, and underused federal offices, our community will gain access to safe, accessible, and affordable housing. This marks a transformative step toward ensuring that even more Kingstonians have the opportunity to achieve homeownership, making our city a place where everyone can truly call home."
 - Mark Gerretsen, Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands

• Budget 2024: Fairness for Every Generation
• Budget 2024: Remarks by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
• Budget 2024: Key Measures (available in non-official languages)
• Backgrounder: More Affordable Homes

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SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada