As minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, Ahmed Hussen is keenly focussed on the predicaments in housing that confronts Black Canadian communities and his government’s efforts to help to ease the strain.
“The good news is that with an investment of $14 billion announced to address the some of the core needs of Canadians, housing is the centre-piece of Budget 2022,” he told the CONTACT in a recent telephone interview.
Minister Hussen says the announcement is especially significant for Black Canadians who have more core housing issues than the average Canadian population.
He points to home ownership rates among Blacks, which is close to 30% lower than mainstream Canada and consequently significantly higher among renters.
And suggests that we can benefit significantly from his government’s push to double new and affordable homes across the country.
“We will be introducing a housing accelerator fund to the tune of four billion dollars, that will add more than 100,000 new homes across the country.”
As well he says, they will be working closely with to make it happen and doing their best to clear whatever road blocks that may be impeding the quick construction of homes
The minister spoke also of a new tax free $40,000 savings account that that will allow first-time buyers an easier path toward purchasing their home.
And as a way to ensure that the government’s message reaches deep into marginalized communities, he points to the additional $50 million that the Liberals are injecting into not-for-profit frontline community organizations to build capacity and better serve their communities.
Minister Hussen, who was handed the Housing and Diversity and Inclusion portfolio this past December by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, brings a lot of heft to the department having been at the forefront of the revitalization project of Regent Park, a working class inner city neighbourhood in downtown Toronto.
As co-founder of the Regent Park Community Council he was pivotal in securing $500 million to help transform the housing situation there and advocating on behalf of its 15,000 residents.
Hussen was Born in Somalia, he immigrated to Canada in 1993 and settled in Toronto. He earned his law degree from the University of Ottawa.
He first elected in 2015 in the T.O riding of York South—Weston and previously served as Minister of Families, Children and Social Development as well as Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
From his vantage point he talked to the CONTACT about his perception of Canada’s Black community as it continues to struggle to find its place in this society.
He says one of the first things we have to recognize is “the diversity within our community,” which in itself impacts differently on the issues we face.
He recognizes the common challenges faced by Black youth across the country and acknowledges the debilitating impact of the over-representation of Blacks in the criminal justice system as well issues of unemployment and underemployment and others.
But he is encouraged by the fact that our community has been growing significantly over the years both by natural population growth and by immigration.
“Most importantly, Blacks have been making strides in every aspect of Canadian life,” he says. “We are seeing excellence in the arts, in business, in the judiciary on the Bench and in politics, where we have a Black caucus as well as two ministers in the federal Cabinet.”
So in spite of the many challenges that Black communities across Canada continue to face, he says there’s a lot of potential.
The minister concluded by saying that we as a community have a lot of work to do but “I’m proud of being part of a government that is committed to listening to Black Canadians and engaging with them. We are already seeing the results.”
