Here is the question that Leader and MHA for St. John’s Centre, Jim Dinn, would have asked in Question Period today:
“Speaker, over the past month, my office has received numerous calls about the Canadian Housing Benefit (CHB) running out, meaning no new applicants will be able to access this support until the next fiscal year.”
“As we have just seen with the $10-a-day child care funding, the Conservative response appears to be simply to ask the federal government for additional money, with no indication of whether such funding will ever materialize.”
“By failing to invest in housing, including the CHB, this government is keeping people in our province trapped in for-profit shelters – facilities that not only undermine the well-being of unhoused individuals, but also funnel millions of public dollars into the pockets of private landlords. Shelter spending rose to $14 million last year – three times more than in previous years. This approach does nothing to ease the pressure on our healthcare or justice systems.”
“I ask the Minister: What steps is your department taking to secure additional CHB funding to cover the four-month gap between now and April 1, 2025? Will your government allocate any further provincial resources to meet the clear and growing demand for this benefit among those struggling to secure affordable housing?”
“And to the Premier: If your government is truly ‘for all of us,’ when can the public expect to see a concrete plan to lift people out of poverty, when so many are living at – or far below – the margins?”