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Madam Speaker, I agree with the hon. member that we need to take action to support renters. That is precisely why our government introduced the Canada housing benefit, which is delivering rent supports to tens of thousands of families right across our country.

This Canada housing benefit is now live in every province and territory in Canada. In addition to that, we had a top-up to the Canada housing benefit. In addition to that, we are building more affordable rental housing.

I would urge the hon. member to also contact the provincial government, which is responsible for rent control.

Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his advocacy on this important issue.

Affordable housing and climate change must go hand in hand. That is why I was pleased to recently announce the launch of the $1.2-billion Canada greener affordable housing program. This initiative will help affordable housing providers serving low- and moderate-income households complete deep energy retrofits for residential rental buildings and reduce operational costs and greenhouse gas emissions at the same time. This will result in an increased quality of life for residents while contributing to climate change initiatives. This is what real action on housing affordability and sustainability looks like.

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows that rent subsidies and making sure rental rates reflect fairness are in provincial jurisdiction. However, we do believe we have a role in helping vulnerable renters. That is why we introduced the Canada housing benefit, which is helping tens of thousands of Canadian households across each province and territory in Canada. That is why we introduced a top-up to the Canada housing benefit. It is why we are also making sure we are building more rental supply, including more supply of affordable rental units across the country.

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is denying the fact that we are the party in office that brought in the Canada housing benefit, a plan to support renters across the country that is currently helping tens of thousands of vulnerable renters. In addition to that, we have legislated an annual 1% tax on vacant non-Canadian residential real estate as well as a two-year ban on foreign investments in Canadian residential real estate. We are also reviewing the tax treatment of real estate investment trusts.

Mr. Speaker, the hon. members knows, or should know, that rent control is under provincial jurisdiction. However, we on this side of the House believe that the federal government has a role and should play a role in helping renters. That is why we introduced the Canada housing benefit. That is why we partnered with political parties on this side of the House to make sure that we top up the Canada housing benefit, which is going to every vulnerable renter across Canada who needs it. It is a cost-share program, and we are proud of that record.

Mr. Speaker, I know that the NDP loves to bring up provincial jurisdiction issues. However, we do believe that the Government of Canada has a role to support renters. That is why we introduced the Canada housing benefit.

As far as building more rentals is concerned, we are the government that introduced the rental construction financing initiative, which is about building more rental supply in Canada, including affordable rentals. We are now moving forward with the housing accelerator fund, which is about building more supply, including more affordable housing and also more affordable rentals.

Mr. Speaker, I disagree with the hon. member. We have gone from just over $2 billion in funding for Reaching Home, Canada's homelessness strategy, to almost $4 billion. That is a doubling of the funding going to over 5,000 different projects to help divert tens of thousands of Canadians from homelessness to permanent housing solutions, as well as transitional homes.

We have also introduced the rapid housing initiative, which is having tremendous success on the ground.

Mr. speaker, it is really hard to take the party opposite seriously on housing. In their previous election platform, Conservatives did not even have the words “affordable housing” in their platform.

Now they have released a so-called plan that does not have the word “homelessness”. There is no plan for women's housing. There is no plan for northern housing. There is no plan for rapid housing. There is no plan for co-op housing. There is no plan for helping first-time homebuyers. There is no plan for helping renters. There is no plan for seniors' housing. There is no plan for accessible housing. There is absolutely no plan on that side of the house.

Mr. Speaker, we understand the importance of being there for vulnerable renters. That is why this government introduced the Canada housing benefit, a revolutionary measure that puts money directly in the pockets of renters and moves with them when they move from one unit to another. We topped up that Canada housing benefit with a top-up to the Canada housing benefit. We will be there for renters. We will keep building more affordable rental units across the country, and we will be there for vulnerable renters all the way.

Mr. Speaker, we can tell, when the personal attacks are increasing, that it is proportional to the lack of ideas that actually help Canadians.

When we look at housing supply, we are the party that has enabled more Canadians to access affordable housing, as well as to access the dream of Canadian home ownership through the first-time homebuyer tax-free savings account, a 1% tax on vacant, non-Canadian, non-residential real estate. We are also building more housing supply through the housing accelerator fund.

Throughout all these measures, they vote against them and then come here and pretend that they care.

Mr. Speaker, we understand that more Canadians are facing challenges with respect to rental payments.

Although the regulation and rent control issues are under provincial jurisdiction, we on this side of the House believe that we should do everything we can to have the backs of renters. That means building a more affordable rental supply over the life of the national housing strategy, putting money in the pockets of vulnerable renters through the Canada housing benefit, and making sure that we are always fighting hard for more supply and, particularly, a more affordable rental supply across the country, in all communities from coast to coast to coast.

Mr. Chair, it is an honour to stand here to debate my colleagues.

We know that Canadians are facing challenges in accessing their dream of home ownership. We are doing everything we can to help them get there.

Mr. Chair, different prices can be seen in different parts of the country, so I would like the leader of the official opposition to recognize that fact.

Mr. Chair, the average price of a home in Canada in 2022 was $703,000.

Mr. Chair, average down payments are also regional in nature. That is my answer.