Prime Minister Trudeau Visits Guelph
April 26, 2021
Lloyd Longfield, Member of Parliament for Guelph, hosted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau today in a virtual meeting to discuss Budget 2021 as it relates to housing and homelessness in Guelph.
The Prime Minister and MP Longfield discussed how Guelph is working to eliminate chronic homelessness. Projects currently partnering with community supports and organizations, along with recent projects such as Silver Maple Seniors community are providing safe affordable homes for those living in Guelph. The Prime Minister learned how Guelph collaborations are supporting women and children fleeing domestic violence, marginalized individuals as well as newcomers and indigenous residents. The discussion highlighted how Guelph is a community that is working hard to ensure everyone has A Place to Call Home.
Since 2015, the Government of Canada has helped more than 1 million Canadians find a safe and affordable place to call home. But with housing costs continuing to rise across the country, middle and low-income Canadians are continuing to feel the increased financial burdens. That’s why Budget 2021 invests in affordable housing, so we can make life easier for Canadian families, create jobs, strengthen our economy, end homelessness, and grow the middle class.
This budget proposes long-term solutions that will make housing more affordable for middle-class Canadians, help the most vulnerable, and end homelessness across the country by:
- Speeding up the construction and repair of 35,000 affordable housing units across Canada.
- Addressing the urgent housing needs of vulnerable Canadians by investing more into the Rapid Housing Initiative.
- Providing direct financial assistance for low-income women and children fleeing violence.
- Introducing Canada's first national tax on vacant or underused residential property owned by foreign non-residents.
- Investing in safe and affordable housing for Northern Canadians.
- Creating a pilot program to reduce veteran homelessness through rent supplements.
Today’s meeting brought together the group that have continued to work with MP Longfield: the Guelph and Wellington Task Force for Poverty Elimination as well as Mayor Guthrie, Warden Kelly Linton,
Guelph Community Health Centre, Canadian Mental Health Association, along with community partners The Welcome In Drop In Centre, Kindle Communities, Wyndham House, Stonehenge Therapeutic Community and St. Joseph’s Housing Corporation to demonstrate investment and collaboration and the National Housing Strategy working together.
Quotes
“With housing costs on the rise, many Canadian families are having trouble finding an affordable place to live. That’s why Budget 2021 continues our hard work to create more safe and affordable housing options for Canadians, and finds real solutions to the challenges people are facing. By investing in safe and affordable housing, we get closer to our goal of ending chronic homelessness, create new jobs, grow the middle class, and help families in communities across Ontario get ahead.”
-The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada
“Guelph collaboration around housing projects is key to our progress to date and key to eliminating homelessness in the next two years. The diversity of solutions comes from diverse input and partnerships with the federal government and municipal councils in Guelph and Wellington County. Budget 2021 continues our focus on helping to find a place to call home for everyone in Guelph Wellington.”
-Lloyd Longfield, Member of Parliament for Guelph
Links
Media Contact
Lianne Cassidy
Executive Assistant to MP Longfield
226-821-5979