Speech to the Pan-Canadian Women’s Housing Symposium

Speaking Notes for Romy Bowers, President and Chief Executive Officer, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Ottawa, Ontario

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It’s a pleasure to take part in this symposium once again — this time in-person on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg peoples.

This time of year really makes me appreciate the beauty of these lands, and reflect on how grateful I am to their caretakers throughout time.

I want to thank the members of the Advisory Circle who made this event possible — all deeply committed experts and activists from across Canada.

I also want to recognize everyone here for your participation — especially those of you who have come from far away. I value this opportunity to listen and learn from you, and continue the conversation.

I’ll start by giving you a quick overview of the housing picture from my perspective — and an update on what we’re doing at CMHC. Then, I’ll be happy to answer your questions.

Since last year’s symposium, the cost of living has continued to rise, along with rents.

More and more people are struggling to make ends meet and to keep a roof over their heads.

We’re seeing higher rates of homelessness in our cities, and it’s a growing issue in small towns and rural areas too.

Unfortunately, women and children continue to be disproportionately affected.

Yet, even in these difficult times, there are positive developments.

The federal government recognizes the severity of Canada’s housing crisis and has made it a top priority. It has strengthened its focus on housing, and has appointed a new minister to lead this work.

From my conversations with Minister Fraser, it’s clear he understands that addressing homelessness and investing in non-profit housing must be a priority.

We’re also seeing a stronger, all-of-government approach to housing. At CMHC we’re now working more closely with Infrastructure Canada — and we’re seeing that other federal departments are making housing more of consideration in their policy decisions.

I’m optimistic that this will give much more momentum to housing and addressing homelessness. It will ensure that more non-profit housing gets built near the services that women and their families rely on — transit, schools, clinics, and other community services.

Recently, new measures have been announced that will create more much-needed housing.

The government’s new Housing Accelerator Fund will help cities cut red tape and build more housing more quickly — again with a focus on affordable housing.

The GST exemption and the unlocking of new financing through the Canada Mortgage Bonds will encourage more purpose-built rentals in both the non-profit and market sectors.

These join the other measures that are already in place and already having an impact — like, for example, the National Housing Strategy.

Here at CMHC, we’re continuing to deliver key NHS programs that prioritize women and children. This has led to projects like:

• new transitional housing units in Stephenville, built by Newfoundland Aboriginal Women’s Network, and the renovation of Monarch Place and Chrysalis Place, two buildings for women and children leaving violence in New Westminster, BC — all made possible through the National Housing Co-Investment Fund;
• the Chez Doris project to build a rooming house for women in difficulty in Montreal, made possible through the Rapid Housing Initiative.
• And projects like the 12 new shelters that will create more than 200 shelter beds and transition homes, created through the Women and Children Shelter and Transitional Housing Initiative in communities in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and BC.

But, as we’ve discussed before, the National Housing Strategy is not enough. To make a real difference, Canada has to address the larger systemic issues that bring women to homelessness and precarious housing.

Whenever I meet with stakeholders — across all governments and all sectors — I always emphasize that better housing outcomes are also linked to better social supports, both in direct benefits and in wrap-around services.

I continue to make the point that we need to address the systemic barriers faced by Indigenous women and women from other vulnerable communities.

We’re working hard to build up the research and data we need to tear down these barriers. But we also help make the case by bringing stories like yours to the conversation.

In the meantime, we continue to be involved in the work to co-develop an Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy alongside Indigenous partners and other federal partners, like Indigenous Services Canada.

At the same time, we’re developing our CMHC Reconciliation Action Plan that will guide our work as we continue to strengthen and expand partnerships with Indigenous Peoples. We want to work closely with Indigenous partners to drive the housing system transformation needed to address housing inequities that continue today.

All of the work I’ve described has benefited from input from people with lived experiences, and those familiar with their unique needs.

And gathering that input and your valuable insights is what this event is all about.

So at this point, I want to hear more from you — and I know you have questions for me. Let’s continue this important conversation about how we can create better housing outcomes — and better futures — for women and children across this country.