Federal regulators should undertake a national count of vacant homes, New Democrat MP Bonita Zarrillo (Port Moody-Coquitlam, B.C.) yesterday told the Commons human resources committee. Zarrillo questioned whether unoccupied properties could be used by the homeless.

“I would suggest part of the research is a better understanding of how many homes are sitting empty in Canada,” said Zarrillo. No current national count exists.