Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner (Calgary Nose Hill, AB) said the fate of 24 Sussex Drive, the prime minister's home, and millions of Canadians who cannot afford a home are intertwined.. 24 Sussex Drive24 Sussex Drive .“If our federal government can't come up with enough out-of-the-box thinking to come up with a politically palatable path to restore the most prominent residence in the country, how in the hell is it going to build nearly six million homes in seven years?” said Garner in a blog post..“To solve the national housing crisis, all levels of government need to begin with a mindset of radical change to overcome the inertia of bureaucracy and status quo thinking.” .Reports have emerged 24 Sussex is in such a state of decay the walls are stuffed with carcasses of dead rodents, asbestos, mold, and unsafe wiring. A report by the National Capital Commission (NCC) suggested it would take the Canadian government $40 million to repair it..The NCC closed 24 Sussex for costly repairs expected to take years to complete in November..READ MORE: 24 Sussex Drive to be closed for costly repairs.“The state of the asset is well known and risks have been duly controlled,” it said..“With continuously aging and worsening materials and systems, more significant actions must be taken.”.While 24 Sussex has been left to crumble and decay, the blog post said Canada is experiencing a historic affordable housing supply crisis, which is the root cause of social inclusion issues..It said an average household would have to spend 60% of its income on housing in 2021. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation said Canada needs to build six million homes in seven years to address its growing population..The blog post went on to say the Canadian government should tie rebuilding 24 Sussex to reaching the country’s 2030 housing supply target..Assuming the NCC’s claims it would cost $40 million to fix it are true, this amount divided by the six million homes is $6 per unit. Every time a new home is built between now and 2030, the Canadian government can put away $6 for repairs..Whichever homebuilder produces the most homes during this time could be granted a contract for the place within a set time, with 25-year naming rights and no bureaucracy to stand in the way..The blog post said this approach could solve the problem of rebuilding 24 Sussex when millions of Canadians cannot afford homes and incentivize homebuilders to get the job done..Garner concluded by saying the point of this example is “there are solutions to address seemingly unsolvable complex problems like the housing crisis.” She said the magnitude of the housing crisis “requires our government to embrace big, non-obvious ideas with a can-do attitude and an agile and motivated bureaucracy that acts as an enabler as opposed to … dare I say it … a pearl-clutching gatekeeper.”.“In 2030, I'd much rather attend the grand opening of the Cardel or Claridge Centre for Housing Prime Ministers at 24 Sussex in honour of Canada building six million homes than deal with the social injustices the current rat-infested, social poverty trajectory our government's lack of innovative thinking has set our country upon,” she said.
