Canadian vets receive 'no help' amid housing crisis
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau proposed recycling federal property to address the national housing crisis. Many appeared unfit for development to house Canadian veterans.
Canadian veterans continue to be let down by the Trudeau government as one-quarter of National Defence buildings are in serious disrepair. Meanwhile, the housing crisis prompted members to seek donations to make ends meet.
"Approximately 25 percent of existing infrastructure is greater than 50 years old and requires significant maintenance, repair and recapitalization to ensure it remains serviceable and compliant with health, safety and environment regulations," said an Audit Of Defence Infrastructure.
The military is the second largest federal landlord after the Department of Public Works with 21,000 buildings under management, reported Blacklock’s Reporter. Auditors wrote the replacement cost is approximately $28 billion.
"The aging real property portfolio, complexity of infrastructure service requirements and growing need to improve and recapitalize existing infrastructure to support ever-changing operational requirements all continue to put pressure on financial and human resources," said the report.
Pierre Poilievre calls on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to help resolve the housing crisis facing members of the Canadian Armed Forces. In response, Trudeau blames the Harper government. pic.twitter.com/v1aW6nzj76
— True North (@TrueNorthCentre) February 7, 2024
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau proposed recycling federal property to address the national housing crisis. "This is an ambitious plan that meets the moment," he told reporters last April 24. "Anyone who says we don’t need to put everything on the table right now is not listening."
An April 23 cabinet inquiry identified only a few hundred vacant federal buildings and lots nationwide. Many appeared unfit for development.
The inventory of 124 vacant buildings included a 2,200-square-foot Department of Agriculture cattle barn in Brandon, Manitoba, former penitentiary buildings in Kingston, Ont. and Cape Breton boat sheds.
The inventory of 263 undeveloped lands included Parks Canada parking lots, a former DND firing range, and a vacant lot in Montréal with "no direct access to a public street."
As China continues to expand its military, we "must, and will, unapologetically defend our national interests" by bolstering the Canadian Armed Forces, Defence Minister Anita Anand announces.https://t.co/T5mKusYWBL pic.twitter.com/v4xEzq8K3P
— Rebel News Québec (@RebelNews_QC) March 9, 2023
Changes to the military's housing allowance last year amplified housing needs. Meanwhile, troop morale continues to plummet.
The Armed Forces earlier cut the cost-of-living allowance for thousands of troops without much notice. The DND and the Treasury Board replaced it with a new housing benefit, resulting in annual savings of $30 million.
Members expressed their frustrations as the benefit is arbitrarily tied to the cost of renting a two-bedroom apartment without consideration for family size or inflation.
Canadian troops in a June 14, 2023 memo "have a significant financial advantage" and can more easily afford accommodations compared to those who move more frequently.
"Increasingly, members will release [from the Canadian Forces] rather than relocate to an area they cannot afford or take a loss on an existing home," Brig.-Gen. Virginia Tattersall said last October.
Canadian troops stationed in Poland are not being reimbursed for the food they purchase, causing hardships for their families back home.
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) April 8, 2023
READ MORE: https://t.co/Bf53K8PPxm pic.twitter.com/sRnaxV9yyu
At the time, nearly 28,000 members occupied 12,000 housing units, according to the Canadian Forces Housing Agency (CFHA). Thousands more were on a waitlist.
The CFHA, which manages the housing portfolio at 27 locations nationwide, previously identified an urgent need for at least 5,000 more housing units to meet demand.
A media report uncovered the agency failed to properly maintain its 12,000 housing units. One in five received a "below average" rating.
"Average cost to purchase or rent housing now exceeds incomes of several CAF working rank levels," Brig.-Gen. Tattersall said.
More than 700 Canadian soldiers are in Latvia to supposedly deter Russia’s aggression in the Eastern European region.https://t.co/XMbubZwb4K
— Rebel News Canada (@RebelNews_CA) June 9, 2023
Some members resorted to taking donations to make ends meet. Donations to Together We Stand, a non-profit that supports military families, were expected to double last year.
Cabinet promised to build 3.8 million new homes by 2030 in addition to ordinary housing starts that total some 240,000 a year.
"We will be reviving the dream of homeownership for young Canadians," Trudeau told the Commons on May 1. "We have put forward the most comprehensive and ambitious housing plan this country has ever seen."
When asked why soldiers are relying on donations, the DND said many members already received raises this year to counter the cost of living crisis. Members received a 10% pay increase last year, retroactive over four years since 2021.
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