A scathing report from the Auditor General (AG) of Canada has exposed critical failures in the Department of National Defence's management of housing for Canadian Armed Forces members.
Conservative MP Ned Kuruc, addressing a Standing Committee and the AG, expressed grave concern over the findings.
"So, your report shows the national defense failed to meet housing needs. We're at least 5200 units short, and the ones that we do have are outdated spaces with no Wi-Fi. Some don't even have functioning sanitary waste systems."
Kuruc added, "We also have stories that members are having to couch surf. And I think the low point is an article that came out in 2022 that said that they were being advised to go to Habitat for Humanity to find housing. Do you want to elaborate on that?"
Karen Hogan, the Auditor General, responded. "National Defence is not managing their housing in a way that will meet their needs or the needs of their members at all."
"What was concerning me was the condition of so many housing units that I think you and I would not want to live in, and we shouldn't expect that our Canadian Armed Forces members would," she said.
The report underscores a dire shortage and substandard living conditions, prompting calls for immediate action to address the housing crisis affecting military personnel.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has committed Canada to a significant increase in military spending, aiming to double the defence budget by 2035 to between $110 billion and $150 billion annually, depending on economic growth.
The plan, announced at a NATO summit, involves an additional $50 billion to $90 billion per year, bringing Canada's defence-related spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, a substantial hike from the current $62 billion. The initiative, part of a broader NATO pledge to address Russian expansionism and maintain alliance unity, includes a $9 billion cash increase for the 2025-26 fiscal year to enhance military capabilities, particularly in the Arctic, and support the Canadian Armed Forces with better resources and higher pay, reflecting the increased demands and responsibilities of military personnel.