Affordable Housing

When I grew up in Vancouver there wasn't a housing problem. There wasn't a homeless problem. You didn't see people living on the street. Everyone could find an affordable and decent place to live. That is not the case anymore -- so what went wrong? Changes in federal government policy really had a negative impact. Tax laws were changed by the Conservatives in the late 1980s so that there were no longer incentives for investors to build and maintain rental housing. Then there was a decision by the Liberals in the 1990s to change the mandate for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and end the federal funding and responsibility for non-market and social housing. Since then, there's been little building of new rental or social housing. We are the only G8 country that does not have a National Housing Plan.

In Vancouver Centre, we can clearly see the effects of such policy changes. Young and old and people with fixed or lower incomes find it harder and harder to find housing at rents and prices they can afford. People being pushed out of their apartments for upgrades that put the newly renovated apartment rents out of reach can't find another affordable place to live.

To ensure that everyone has a decent, affordable place to live, the Green Party would establish and fund a National Affordable Housing Strategy that would create the 30,000 units of affordable housing per year that are needed to make up for the shortfall that has accumulated since the federal government abandoned its CMHC affordable housing programs in 1996. We would specifically include credit and loan guarantees to non-profit housing organizations for the building and restoration of quality, energy-efficient housing, and dedicated funding to the co-operative housing sector. CMHC programs must be directed to the communities most in need, like Vancouver, and fast tracked to provide homes for people at risk, including those with low incomes, disabilities and health issues. Our plan calls for healthy housing, designed with energy conservation in mind.

As your Green MP, I will champion this issue in Ottawa:

I will work to change the tax law to once again provide incentives to investors to build and maintain rental housing.
I will work to re-establish a National Housing Strategy with federal government responsibility so that affordable non-market, social and co-op housing is built.
I will work to find a comprehensive solution to homelessness that includes not only affordable housing but also the programs needed to address poverty and support individuals with mental health and addiction issues.

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