Hon. Tony Loffreda: Thank you, minister, for being with us today. Could you elaborate further on these important issues? I noted in your progress report on Canada’s Rural Economic Development Strategy, released in August 2021, that one of your key priorities is to help address housing pressures by building or renovating over 9,000 units of affordable housing in rural and Indigenous communities.

Could you provide us with an update on this initiative and elaborate further? I might also add that home affordability is obviously a significant issue, but home accessibility and availability are equally important. How is the government helping address some of the real estate pressures and challenges in rural communities? Does your agency have targeted measures or policies in place to encourage new Canadians, immigrants and refugees to consider rural communities as a place to call home?