Victorian MP Laurel Collins and NDP housing critic Jenny Kwan have called on the federal government to help bring down housing prices.
Collins and Kwan held a press conference in Fernwood Square on Thursday (April 13) and held a roundtable with the Fernwood Community Association to hear concerns from housing providers in greater Victoria.
“Locals and nonprofits that provide housing say this is a crisis that needs to be addressed,” Kwan said. “They want the federal government to start providing housing again. They want capital investment through grants, not loans. They want subsidies in place so we can make units affordable. We’re pushing the federal government to take action on this housing crisis .”
Collins said the concern she hears most from voters is that people are struggling with housing.
“I hear it every day from people in the community,” Collins said. “People are sleeping rough, or they’re worried they won’t be able to pay their rent next month. Safety is a huge issue. Grandparents are watching their children and grandchildren move out because they can’t afford to live here.”
Kwan added that we need to stop allowing profiteering on housing.
“Business owners and REITs are trying to improve their profitability. They look for underperforming buildings. They swoop in and buy them and try to drive out the long-term tenants there. High rent.”
Kwan said the federal government needs to recognize housing as a basic human right.
“What we need to do is stop treating housing as a commodity,” Kwan said. “The provincial government is doing its best to address the housing crisis. They can’t do it alone.”
@brendanmayer
[email protected]
like us Facebook and follow us Twitter.
affordable housing