a benefit doesn't create a home

 a benefit doesn't create a home

My friend is 77.

We were talking about immigration, housing, social assistance and what is happening to people across Canada.

And he asked me a simple question:

“Are people coming into Canada properly screened?”

That led to another question:

“And what happens when families arrive with children and qualify for several different government benefits, while Canadians who are already here can't find a place to live?”

These aren't unreasonable questions.

But we need to look at the actual numbers—not rumours, not Facebook posts, not assumptions.

Let's start with housing.

Statistics Canada reported that in 2024, approximately 1.8 million Canadian households were in core housing need.

That means their housing was inadequate, unsuitable or unaffordable, and they couldn't afford an acceptable alternative.

Among renters, the rate was about 22%.

Think about that.

One in five renter households.

And that doesn't tell the whole story.

Some people are couch-surfing.

Some are living with relatives because they have nowhere else to go.

Some are sleeping in vehicles.

Some are staying in relationships or homes they desperately want to leave because they cannot afford another place.

Some are working and still cannot afford rent.

Some are seniors.

Some are families with children.

Some are people receiving assistance.

And here's the problem with saying “there is assistance.”

Suppose a single person can receive up to roughly $1,060 a month in B.C. income assistance, including the maximum shelter allowance.

That's food and basic needs plus shelter.

But what good is a shelter allowance if you cannot find a place to rent for that amount?

A benefit doesn't create a home.

That's the part I think governments keep missing.

You can give someone money.

But if there are no affordable apartments available, they're still homeless.

Now consider a family.

A family with four children may qualify for several programs depending on their circumstances, including child benefits and other supports.

The Canada Child Benefit can be thousands of dollars per child each year for eligible low-income families.

There can also be provincial benefits.

There may be health coverage and other supports depending on immigration status and eligibility.

I'm not saying families shouldn't receive help.

Children shouldn't go hungry.

People fleeing war or persecution shouldn't be abandoned.

But we also have to ask whether Canada's housing and social-support systems have enough capacity for everyone who is here.

Because if they don't, somebody gets left behind.

And right now, millions of Canadians are struggling with housing.

What about the co-ops?

This is where things become particularly frustrating for people.

Affordable co-op housing is limited.

People can wait years.

A person can be eligible and still not get a unit.

So imagine being a Canadian senior, a person with a disability, a low-income worker or someone experiencing homelessness.

You apply.

You wait.

You can't find anything you can afford.

And winter is coming.

What are you supposed to do?

And then there is employment.

My friend has also raised concerns about businesses hiring people who speak particular languages.

This needs to be discussed carefully.

People naturally hire through networks. Immigrant communities often help newcomers find work, just as established Canadian communities do.

But employers cannot legally discriminate against people on protected grounds.

So the question isn't:

“Why are these people hiring Indians or South Asians?”

The useful question is:

“Are Canadian employers following employment laws, and are qualified Canadians being given a fair opportunity to apply and compete for jobs?”

That's something worth investigating with evidence rather than assuming an entire community is doing something wrong.

What is happening in places like Nelson?

I've heard people talk about communities changing quickly, with new restaurants and businesses appearing and particular immigrant communities becoming much more visible.

Businesses opening isn't automatically a bad thing.

But rapid population change raises legitimate questions:

Does the town have enough housing?

Enough doctors?

Enough schools?

Enough childcare?

Enough public transportation?

Enough jobs?

Enough affordable rentals?

Those are infrastructure questions.

And governments should answer them before housing shortages become humanitarian problems.

We need to stop fighting each other.

This isn't about whether one group of Canadians deserves housing more than another.

It is about whether Canada has built enough housing and infrastructure to support the population it has chosen to accept.

If the answer is no, ordinary people end up fighting over scarce apartments, jobs and services.

That creates resentment.

And resentment doesn't build a single home.

So, Mark Carney, provincial governments and municipal governments:

Show us the numbers.

How many people are currently homeless?

How many are living in inadequate housing?

How many are living in overcrowded housing?

How many are trapped in housing they cannot afford?

How many are staying in unsafe or abusive situations because they have nowhere else to go?

How many affordable homes are actually available?

How many are being built?

How many people are waiting for co-op and subsidized housing?

How long are they waiting?

And how much money is actually reaching bricks, walls, kitchens and bedrooms?

Because we keep hearing about billions of dollars.

We keep hearing about investment.

We keep hearing about programs.

But Canadians need something very basic:

A safe place to live.

And with winter approaching, this isn't a political talking point.

It is time.

People cannot eat promises.

People cannot sleep in a budget.

People cannot turn a benefit cheque into an apartment when there is nowhere affordable to rent.

Build the housing.

Show us the money.

And show us the homes.