With election day fast approaching, many Canadians are still asking themselves which candidates will provide the leadership needed to address the affordable housing crisis that is having a devastating effect on families and communities throughout the country. While each of the major parties have presented plans that either restate previously-made commitments or provide band-aid solutions to the problem – none have presented a clear and comprehensive housing strategy that will drive new investment and new energy into needed affordable housing initiatives.

Today, there are four million people across Canada living in need of adequate and affordable housing who would give you their undivided attention. Four million people who are waiting to hear your longterm plan to make affordable housing and affordable homeownership an attainable dream for hardworking Canadians. Four million whose vote is possibly still undecided.

This week we celebrate World Habitat Day, designated by the United Nations as a day to ‚reflect on the state of our towns and cities and the basic human right to adequate shelter for all.. Its overarching purpose is to remind us all of our collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat.

It is only a coincidence that the federal election falls so near to World Habitat Day, but I believe it can serve as a call to action to you and your party to present a new and more robust plan that outlines how your government will battle the affordable housing crisis in Canada.

Canada has dropped the ball on affordable housing. Where we were once a leader and innovator, we are now in trouble. The United Nations characterizes the state of homelessness and inadequate housing in our country as a ‘national emergency’. We see the impact of this neglect every day with unacceptable levels of child and family poverty, escalating housing costs, neighbourhood deterioration, and an inability of working families to break the cycle of poverty.

As you see, Mr. Future Prime Minister, the United Nations believes that we all have a role to play in ensuring a mother does not have to decide between a roof over her child’s head or food in her child’s mouth. What the United Nations is trying to do globally, I ask only that you do locally – and that is to make affordable housing a priority in the next government.

On behalf of the thousands of Habitat for Humanity volunteers, supporters and families working to make the dream of homeownership a reality, and the four million Canadians looking for our leadership, I can assure you we will all be listening.