SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 332

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 14, 2024 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 332 - Jun/14/24
Mr. Peter Fragiskatos (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.)
  • Jun/14/24 11:47:39 a.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, as a former mayor, our colleague understands very well the place of co-op housing in communities, large and small. Two hundred and fifty thousand Canadians live in co-ops. It is an affordable option. These are non-profits, of course, which come in various types. They may be large apartments or townhouse complexes. They vary, but they fundamentally provide a sense of community to the people who live there. The Leader of the Opposition insulted these 250,000 Canadians by calling it Soviet-style housing. He styles himself as some sort of student of history. He should read his history. He should come up with a housing plan that actually makes sense. The Conservatives have no vision because they do not care.
125 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 332 - Jun/14/24
Mr. Peter Fragiskatos (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.)
  • Jun/14/24 12:03:55 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, there were 179 agreements signed by the federal government to incent zoning changes at the municipal level that will lead to more missing middle housing. That includes row houses, mid-rise apartments and fourplexes, which the Conservatives are scared of, for some reason. They are against that entire vision, which also includes triplexes and duplexes. This is the vision that this government has put forward to see more homes built, in particular for young people, so they can have a future. That includes in communities large and small. In fact, just recently, I had meetings with mayors from southwestern Ontario in rural communities who are excited about the $400-million top-up to the housing accelerator fund, which the member and the Conservative party oppose.
127 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Context: House Hansard - 332 - Jun/14/24
Mr. Peter Fragiskatos (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.)
  • Jun/14/24 12:06:18 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, builders in the member's community and throughout the country require incentives, and we have put forward incentives that lead to more building, in particular for apartments, by lifting the GST on the construction of rental apartments for the middle class, which the Conservatives oppose. When it comes to more home building, I just spoke about the housing accelerator fund. We take a non-partisan approach to that issue. In communities large and small, represented by various members of Parliament, we are seeing, or will see, more building, through zoning changes that incent the kind of building we need, for young people in particular, with more missing middle options, from duplexes, to fourplexes, to mid-rise apartments and so on. We have more to do, and we will.
130 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border