OTTAWA - The new CEO and President of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation says she believes achieving the organization's goal of facilitating attainable housing for all Canadians by 2030 will be more difficult because of the pandemic.

Romy Bowers told a parliamentary committee Thursday it's because the pandemic has deepened the divide between the “have's and have-not's,” particularly with the sharp increase in housing prices over the past year.

However, Bowers says there is more widespread awareness about inequality as a result of the pandemic, and she hopes there will be more public support to tackle those inequities around access to housing

Bowers became the new head of the CMHC in March after the departure of Evan Siddall.

She says the biggest challenge around affordable housing continues to be a shortage in housing supply in the country.

She also says the CMHC's goal of tackling systemic racism and inequities faced by minorities are especially important to her as a person of Asian heritage.