Response from Housing Critic Adam Vaughan, Liberal

Thank you for your e-mail and for taking the time to write to me on the important issue of a seniors’ housing. Advocating for more affordable housing units and for more family-friendly buildings was a central concern of mine as a City Councillor, and one I continue to work towards at the Federal level. Developing a national housing strategy to improve access to affordable, appropriate housing for all Canadians is a Liberal party policy and one that I would be excited to tackle on your behalf if I have the honour of serving again in the next parliament.

I am proud that Justin Trudeau announced a strong housing strategy that I worked to create which invests $20 billion dollars over 10 years into housing that will arrive immediately. We will prioritize significant new investment in affordable housing and seniors facilities. This investment will renew federal leadership in housing, help build more housing units and refurbish existing ones, renew current co-operative agreements, and provide operational funding support for municipalities, including renewing support for Housing First initiatives that help homeless Canadians find stable housing.  This investment is designed to be flexible so that the provinces and municipalities can stream this money directly into the programs most needed in their jurisdiction, which for many areas will be specifically seniors housing.

Additionally, the Liberal Party has a number of policies to address the various facets of seniors’ lives, including retirement security, compassionate care, and affordable housing. Here are a few highlights that may be of interest:

  • We will restore the eligibility age for Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement to 65, putting an average of $13,000 annually into the pockets of the lowest income Canadians as they become seniors.
  • We will immediately increase the Guaranteed Income Supplement for single, lower income seniors by ten percent, providing up to an additional $920 per year for Canada’s lowest income seniors.
  • We will develop a new measure for the cost of living faced by seniors: the Seniors Price Index. OAS and GIS will be indexed to this new, more accurate, and more generous measure, rather than to the Consumer Price Index that reflects the wider population. In periods when the Consumer Price Index grows faster than the Seniors Price Index, the traditional Consumer Price Index will be used. We will not cut pension income splitting for seniors.
  • We will work with the provinces and territories, workers, employers, and retiree organizations to enhance the Canada Pension Plan. Within three months of the election, the new federal Finance Minister will convene provincial and territorial counterparts to begin this work. We will work with the Quebec government and respect the close collaboration that exists between the Canada Pension Plan and the Quebec Pension Plan.
  • We will also introduce a more flexible and accessible Employment Insurance Compassionate Care Benefit so that six months of benefits are available to those who are providing care to a seriously ill family member, rather than only those caring for a loved one at risk of death.
  • Finally, as part of a Liberal government’s commitment to a new, ten-year investment of nearly $20 billion in social infrastructure, we will prioritize significant new investment in affordable housing and seniors’ facilities.

There are further details online here:

https://www.liberal.ca/realchange/retirement-security-for-our-seniors/

Thanks again for your interest and for getting in touch with me. I hope that we can count on your support on October 19.

Best regards,

Adam Vaughan

Housing is a priority across Canada

Over half of Canadians would support a political party that makes affordable housing a priority, new poll finds

(Toronto, ON) – Sixty-nine percent of Canadian households are home owners, yet over half across Canada would support a political party that makes affordable housing a priority, for those who are working poor, low income and homeless, and would support financial investment of two billion dollars per year, a new poll finds.

The Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO), along with the Vote Housing For All Network, commissioned EKOS Research Associates to conduct a survey of national attitudes towards affordable housing as an election issue in the current federal election campaign. Only 29.4% of those polled said they were not supportive of a political party that makes affordable housing a priority, and 24.8% were opposed to investing two billion a dollars a year. The remaining respondents were neutral or supportive. The survey was included as part of EKOS’ weekly telephone poll, with a margin of error of +/- 2.26, 19 times out of 20.

This poll supports a national week of action with housing advocates across Canada calling for a rights-based national housing strategy and federal re-investment in affordable housing of at least two billion dollars per year.

“Canadians recognize that we have an affordable housing and homelessness crisis, and that we will vote for a party that prioritizes the issue. We are speaking up this week because housing is a human right, yet we have a worsening homelessness crisis in one of the world’s richest countries. It is shameful that Canada remains the only G8 nation without a national housing strategy,” said Helen Luu of the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario.

For more information on the national week of action and the Vote Housing For All Network: http://housing4all.ca

 Copyright © 2015 Advocacy Centre for Tenants Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario

425 Adelaide Street West, Toronto
housing

Response from Dr.Geng Tan, Don Valley N, Liberals

Dear Ms Murray,

Thank you for your inquiry regarding the Liberal Party of Canada platform for accessible housing for seniors.

 

A Liberal government will prioritize investment in affordable housing and seniors’ facilities as a part of our social infrastructure funding.  Our plan will renew federal leadership in affordable housing, help build more housing units, refurbish existing ones, renew existing co-operative agreements, and provide operational funding support for municipalities. We will fund an investment in social infrastructure by nearly $6 billion over the next four years, and almost $20 billion over ten years.

 

The above measures would reduce wait lists especially in the larger urban centres like Toronto and provide improved access to affordable, decent and safe housing for seniors.

 

Dr. Geng Tan

Don Valley North

Response from Noah Richler, NDP

Hi Iris. Thanks so much for your email. We have a few announcements related to housing:

3.2 million Canadians, one in nine, live with housing need.  This means they spend more than they can afford on housing or they live in homes needing major repairs or are overcrowded.  On any given night, 35,000 Canadians are homeless.

Tom Mulcair and the NDP have a proud history of making social housing a priority and backing that up with action. In 2005, Jack Layton successfully pushed the Liberal government at the time to invest a billion dollars in social housing. The NDP Housing and Communities critic, Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet introduced Bill C-400, the National Affordable Housing Act that clearly outlines the NDP position that recognizes housing as a Human Right.

Over the past 25 years of Liberal and Conservative governments, Canada’s national investment in housing has fallen over 46%.  Cuts and downloading by the last Liberal government made Canada the only OECD country without a housing strategy.  The little federal investments in housing since the 1990s have been time-limited , putting housing at risk each time the housing agreements expires making long-term planning impossible.

Tom Mulcair’s plan to build stronger communities includes an investment in affordable housing.  An NDP government will make housing more affordable in our communities by sustaining investment in Canada’s affordable housing agreements, and by providing incentives for the construction of 10,000 affordable and market rental housing units.  An NDP government will renew cooperative housing operating agreements that are set to expire, and invest over $2 billion in co-ops and social housing by 2020.

Since health care and retirement security and affordable housing are all inter-connected, please seen the pdf below. Unfortunately, I cannot attach it since Noah’s webmail does not allow for attachments.

 

http://campaigncentral.ndp.ca/sites/default/files/uploaded/e-36_bg-seniors_care-en.pdf

Thanks again for being in touch.

Janet Solberg

Campaign Manager

Noah Richler NDP Campaign

Response from Peggy Nash, NDP Parkdale-High Pk

Thanks for your email on affordable housing for seniors. Since the number of seniors will double over the next 25 years, Peggy and the NDP have a plan to ensure that the services they need, such as housing, pensions and health care, are there when they need them.
The NDP has a plan to bring together all levels of government to invest in affordable housing. Our plan would secure every senior‘s right to safe, decent and affordable housing that is free of unreasonable barriers. We’ve committed to investing $2 billion in coops and social housing by 2020 and creating 10,000 affordable and market rental units through incentives for construction. 
Peggy and the NDP firmly believe that seniors should be able to age with dignity. That’s why we’ve committed to restoring the age for OAS/GIS eligibility to 65 and boosting the GIS by $400 million. We will also work with the provinces to expand long-term and home care services.
Canadians deserve better than successive Liberal and Conservative cuts to CPP, healthcare, and door-to-door delivery. An NDP government would ensure that these services are there for Canadians when we need them.
Thanks again for your email.
Peggy Nash for Parkdale–High Park Campaign
1570 Bloor St. West
(647) 343-2150
twitter: @PeggyNashNDP

Response from Arif Virani, Parkdale-High Pk, Liberal

Thank you for contacting the Arif Virani Campaign! 
Far too many Canadians are anxious about their retirement these days. After a lifetime of hard work, our seniors should not have to struggle just to make ends meet. A Liberal government will make sure they get the retirement they have earned.

Right now, a Canadian who works their entire adult life receives, on average, just $618 per month upon retirement under the Canada Pension Plan. As part of our three-point plan to create jobs, grow the middle class, and help those working hard to join the middle class, a Liberal government will take immediate action, working alongside the provinces and territories, to make significant reforms to our current retirement security system.

  • We will restore the eligibility age for Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement to 65.T he Liberal Party will not not cut pension income splitting for seniors.
  • We will help lift hundreds of thousands of seniors out of poverty by immediately boosting the Guaranteed Income Supplement for single low-income seniors by ten percent.
  • Since many seniors live on fixed incomes, we will introduce a new Seniors Price Index to make sure that Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement keep up with rising costs.
  • Within our first three months in government, we will begin discussions with the provinces and territories, workers, employers and others on how to enhance the Canada Pension Plan.
  • We will introduce a more flexible and accessible Employment Insurance Compassionate Care Benefit so that six months of benefits are available to those who are providing care to a seriously ill family member, rather than only those caring for a loved one at risk of death.
  • We will prioritize significant new investment in affordable housing and seniors’ facilities as part of a Liberal government’s commitment to a new, ten-year investment of nearly $20 billion in social infrastructure.

Unlike Thomas Mulcair, who is adopting Stephen Harper’s budget and rushing to eliminate the deficit in just six months, Liberals are able to invest more in our seniors because of the choices we are making. Over the next four years, a Liberal government will invest three times more in payments to our lowest income seniors than the NDP. The promise of a retirement, free from poverty or financial worry, is a promise we can and must keep. A Liberal government will ensure our seniors can live in comfort and with confidence.

Kind Regards,

Arif Virani

Response from Conservative Toyin Dada, Etobicoke North

We recently received your message. Thank you for expressing your concerns about matters most important to you.  We are committed to building a strong community in Etobicoke North!

 
Please see a list of some of the many ways The Conservative Party has and continues to support seniors.

If you have further questions, please respond to this email or contact us at (647) 496-6521.
 
Thank you and have a blessed day! 
Sincerely,
 
Toyin Dada Campaign Team
(647) 496-6521

Our Conservative Government is committed to enhancing the well-being of Canada’s seniors during the retirements they have earned. 

That is why since 2006 our Government has:

·         introduced tax relief measures specifically for seniors such as pension income splitting, twice increasing the Age Credit, and increasing GIS benefits for recipients who choose to work

·         introduced legislation to make our streets and communities safer so that seniors feel safe in their own homes and communities

·         doubled the Pension Income Credit, to $2,000

·         taken a strong stand against elder abuse, raising awareness to recognize the signs of elder abuse and deal with those who abuse seniors physically, financially and mentally

·         created a dedicated Minister of State for Seniors bringing seniors’ issues directly to the Cabinet table

·         taken over 380,000 seniors off of the tax rolls altogether

·         established October 1st as National Seniors Day

·         increased the age limit for RRSP-to-RRIF conversion to 71 from 69

·         expanded the Targeted Initiative for Older Workers by investing $75 million to help unemployed older workers         

       put their talents and experience back to work

·         enhanced the New Horizons for Seniors Program by increasing funding by an additional $5 million per year

 

Pension income splitting reduces income tax for a pensioner couple by allowing the higher-income spouse to allocate an amount of income to a lower-income spouse for tax purposes.

 

In Budget 2008, our Government increased the GIS earnings exemption from $500 to $3,500, meaning that a GIS recipient with employment income is now able to keep more of his or her hard-earned money without any reduction in GIS benefits. A single pensioner earning $3,500 or more can keep an additional $1,500 in annual GIS benefits.  Nearly 100,000 low-income seniors benefit from this measure

 

Economic Action Plan 2015 continues our record of strong support of seniors, with measures that include:

 

o   increasing the Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) Annual Contribution Limit to help make it easier for Canadians to save without affecting eligibility for federal income-tested benefits such as Old Age Security or Guaranteed Income Supplement benefits

 

o   reducing the Minimum Withdrawal Factors for Registered Retirement Income Funds (RRIFs) to allow seniors the choice to preserve more of their retirement savings, which will better support their retirement income needs. With this change, a senior citizen at 85 would be able to keep one third more of their money in RRIFs

 

o   introducing a new Home Accessibility Tax Credit for seniors and persons with disabilities to facilitate healthy and accessible homes

 

o   establishing the Canadian Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation, to help discover new tools to help seniors with aging and brain-related issues

 

As you can see, the Conservative Party has done a lot of work in support of seniors, and plans to continue in future.

 

Response from L.Patrick, Scarborough Agincourt NDP

Hi Ms Murray,

    Thank you very much for your email. The NDP would definitely provide long-term and stable investments in social housing.
    We would extend a lot of those social housing operating agreements you mentioned in your message, that would allow Seniors to live in their existing homes. We would also provide incentives for the construction of 10,000 more affordable units.
    The NDP has made affordable housing a core issue for years and made progress. In ’05, Jack Layton made the Liberals invest a billion dollars towards it.
    Recently the NDP Housing and Communities Critic, Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, traveled across Canada to talk about affordable housing with the public, officials, and organizations.
I hope you can find yourself voting NDP this October.
Laura Patrick, your NDP candidate
laura.patrick@ndp.ca

Response from Shaun Chen, Scarborough Liberal Candidate

Thank you for your email regarding affordable housing.  Liberals believe that every Canadian has the right to safe and affordable housing, of which Canada is facing a critical shortage.

 

Far too many Canadians are being priced out of home ownership, placing pressure on already crowded rental markets and on crumbling affordable housing units. One in four Canadian households is paying more than they can afford for housing, and one in eight cannot find affordable housing that is safe, suitable, and well-maintained. Yet, Harper’s Conservatives have made the situation worse by failing to renew rent-geared income subsidies for co-operative housing and other social housing projects that make affordable housing more accessible.

 

Liberals have a better plan. We will make direct investments in affordable housing, put incentives in place to expand affordable rental housing, and increase flexibility for new home buyers. Our plan will make housing more affordable for those who need it most – seniors, persons with disabilities, lower-income families, and Canadians working hard to join the middle class.

 

A Liberal government will prioritize investment in affordable housing and seniors’ facilities as part of a historic ten-year investment of nearly $20 billion in social infrastructure. This will build new units, refurbish existing ones, renew co-operative agreements, and provide funding for municipalities.

 

We will provide $125 million per year in tax incentives to increase – and substantially renovate – the supply of rental housing across Canada, as well as finance the construction of new affordable rental housing for middle- and lower-income Canadians.

 

Finally, we will modernize the existing Home Buyers’ Plan so that it helps more Canadians finance the purchase of a home, and review the escalating home prices in high-priced markets – like Vancouver and Toronto – to keep home ownership within reach of Canadians living in these areas.

 

Safe, adequate, and affordable housing is essential to building strong families, strong communities, and a strong economy. Instead of ignoring these needs, Liberals will make it easier for Canadians to find an affordable place to call home. That’s real change.

 

Thank you again for writing about this important issue.

 

Sincerely,

Shaun Chen

shaun@shaunchen.ca

Official Candidate in Scarborough North

Response from Don Valley East Candidate Y.Ratansi, Liberal

    Thank you for your email.  Canada’s aging population requires leadership and innovative solutions from the federal government to address the financial and health care needs of hospitals, seniors, and their families.  Liberals understand seniors need timely and increased access to health care across their lifetime. That is why, as part of a Liberal government’s commitment to a new ten-year investment of nearly $20 billion in social infrastructure, we will prioritize significant new investment, which will include dedicated funding for seniors’ facilities, including both long-term care infrastructure and community-based services.

    Ensuring patients can access the appropriate level of care when and where they need it will result in better health outcomes. Liberals recognize Canada’s aging population will result in increased demand for support for those with complex care needs requiring full-time and/or in-patient care. We also believe that investing in home and community-based services will reduce overall healthcare costs and free up overcrowded long-term facilities so that they can better provide care for those with complex, chronic needs.  When it comes to their health and well-being, Canadians want and expect our political leaders to make real progress on the issues that intimately affect them and their families – like wait times, the affordability of prescription drugs, the availability of homecare and community-based services, and coping with an aging population. 

 

    Income security is intimately linked with the quality of life and health in retirement, and middle class Canadians are increasingly feeling insecure about their senior years. That is why we will start working with the provinces to expand the Canada Pension Plan within three months of forming government, and restore the age of OAS/GIS eligibility to 65, putting an average of $13,000 annually into the pockets of the lowest income Canadians as they become seniors.  We will immediately increase the Guaranteed Income Supplement for single, lower income seniors by ten percent, providing up to an additional $920 per year for Canada’s lowest income seniors. While current benefits generally ensure that couple families are able to stay out of poverty, more than one in four single seniors live in low-income, as defined by the international after-tax low-income measure. Our Liberal investment will reach $840 million by 2019 and benefit 1.25 million seniors, including 900,000 single women.

    Further to this, we will develop a new measure for the cost of living faced by seniors: the Seniors Price Index. OAS and GIS will be indexed to this new, more accurate, and more generous measure, rather than to the Consumer Price Index that reflects the wider population. In periods when the Consumer Price Index grows faster than the Seniors Price Index, the traditional Consumer Price Index will be used. The Liberal Party looks forward to working with Speech-Language and Audiology Canada and other stakeholders on these important issues. We will have more to say on health, please keep an eye on RealChange.ca for details in the days to come.

Yours truly,

Yasmin Ratansi