Provincial-Territorial Meeting of Ministers responsible for Housing

INTRODUCTION

Housing is a basic necessity of life. Stable, affordable and good quality housing contributes to positive outcomes for individuals, families and communities. Housing influences many aspects of life: individual health and well being, educational achievement, social connections, labour market attachment, and community identity. From a broader economic perspective, the housing sector provides employment, creates investment opportunities, and stimulates and supports economic activity.

THE VISION

A new balanced approach to housing is a tool to promote economic and social independence, personal accountability, and meaningful individual choice. This vision for housing encourages active measures, in the form of a range of housing services and supports, in addition to housing supply. This is required to meet basic human needs while developing individual resources and capabilities to achieve positive longer-term outcomes such as self-reliance for individuals and families. The vision promotes healthy people, stronger neighbourhoods, a green environment, and safety, quality, and affordability in housing markets.

We all share responsibility for good housing outcomes. Federal, provincial, and territorial governments have a shared commitment in ensuring that their citizens have a decent and secure place to live, and, thereby, can access and contribute to the social and economic life of communities. The Ministers acknowledge that addressing housing needs is a daily and a long-term challenge that requires a sustained commitment from all stakeholders to make real and lasting progress. Furthermore, the Ministers recognize the particular need to involve and work with communities in making sustainable progress.

THE PRINCIPLES

Federal, provincial, and territorial governments believe that the implementation of the vision and principles will achieve sustainable and significant improvement in the housing conditions of our most vulnerable citizens. Federal, provincial and territorial governments recognize that initiatives that respond to identified and demonstrated needs, and that are built on the best evidence of what works, produce the best desired outcomes. Achieving success requires cooperation and respect for each other’s roles and responsibilities, and a clear understanding of funding relationships.

Federal, provincial, and territorial governments agree that the following principles should be used to guide the federal, provincial and territorial governments, in achieving bilateral agreements for future housing initiatives.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

Roles and Responsibilities

Provinces and territories have responsibility for the design and delivery of housing policy and programs within their own jurisdictions in order to address their own specific needs and priorities. This responsibility is particularly pertinent where housing interfaces with broader provincial and territorial responsibility in health, social services, justice and education.

The provinces and territories respect the special relationship and fiduciary responsibility that Canada has with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people.

The provinces and territories recognize the federal government’s role in housing such as mortgage insurance, lending programs and taxation. In addition, the federal government has a pivotal role in research and knowledge transfer, promoting innovation and new technologies.

The federal government will consider each province and territory as its primary delivery partner on any new and existing federal housing funding, through future bilateral agreements.

The federal government will provide each province and territory the opportunity to participate in cost-sharing or delivery, or both, through bilateral agreements. If a province or territory chooses not to participate, the bilateral agreement will be used to set the delivery parameters, irrespective of the delivery mechanism, in order to respect the provincial and territorial policy framework and provide consistency in the delivery of the initiative with the approach provided in this document.

Positive Outcomes

   
• Housing initiatives need to support and increase self-reliance in housing and support the development of individual and community capacity .
     
   
• Federal, provincial, and territorial governments have a shared commitment in ensuring their citizens have a decent and secure place to live, and that housing markets function effectively.

People Focused

   
• A continuum of program responses is required to successfully respond to the differing needs of households across their life courses . This comprehensive continuum of program responses consists of, among other things, housing supply and related shelter services, affordability, financing, mortgage insurance, repair, and environmental and housing regulations.
     
   
• Provincial and territorial governments requireflexibility in housing programs and policies which take into account regional, community and individual needs and priorities.
     
   
• All Canadians should have fair and equitable access to housing programs.
     
   
• Federal, provincial, and territorial governments recognize that one of the highest areas of need and challenge is in providing adequate housing for Aboriginal people. It is through collaboration among governments and Aboriginal people that housing improvements for Aboriginal people living off-reserve are possible.

Engaging in Effective and Responsive Practices

   
• Partnerships among federal, provincial and territorial governments, community groups, Aboriginal organizations, residents and the private sector will strengthen housing conditions in Canada.
     
   
• Housing is an essential component of the social and economic well being of individuals and for the development of sustainable communities. Consideration of the broader impact of housing on people will maximize the impacts of housing investments and positive outcomes .

Funding

   
• Federal, provincial, and territorial governments are committed to adequately housing their citizens as well as renewing their commitment to publicly funded support for housing.
     
   
• Adequate, predictable and sustainable federal funding to Provinces and Territories is required for housing initiatives to produce long-term positive outcomes, notably for the households in need. Federal funding must recognize the state of housing and special needs of jurisdictions.
     
   
• Federal funding should be provided directly to provinces and territories. New Federal initiatives should not require provinces and territories to cost-match or cost-share. The federal funding should respect provincial and territorial jurisdictions and priorities, be flexible to respond to their specific needs and situations, and be agreed upon within bilateral agreements between the federal government and each concerned province or territory. Federal funding will occur within the context of bilateral agreements to ensure consistency within provincial and territorial policy and fiscal frameworks.
     
   
• The federal government will recognize programs, directly funded by the provinces and territories, as cost-sharing contributions to federal housing initiatives where there is provincial and territorial cost-sharing in these federal housing initiatives.
     
   
• A provincial or territorial government, that has programming that already meets the objectives of a federal housing initiative, would be able to reinvest the federal funds not required for that initiative in another housing program, with mutually agreed upon objectives or a housing program that is consistent with the vision and principles provided in this document.

Consultation

   
• Provinces and Territories should be involved in decisions related to federal funding allocations for housing and related programs.

Accountability

   
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  Governments recognize the importance of accountability and the need to report to their respective citizens on housing initiatives . This means ensuring fairness and transparency in the delivery of housing programs and services and informing their citizens about how housing programs and services are performing.
     

Other Matters

   
• Federal, provincial, and territorial governments agree on the need to recognize contributions made by governments and by other partners to housing solutions, through proactive and effective communications with the public.
     
   
• Nothing in this document shall be construed to derogate from the respective governments’ jurisdictions.