Gregor Robertson pushing for long-term federal housing plan
Posted October 28, 2013 11:21 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Vancouver’s mayor is leading the charge in asking the federal government to help make it easier to find an affordable home.
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is launching a campaign calling for a long-term housing plan.
“Measures such as tax incentives, streamlining the approvals, densification and redevelopment and exploring alternative development standards in our cities,” lists Mayor Gregor Robertson.
He says high prices in the market and a lack of new rental housing makes it very difficult for young people to stay in the city. It’s also forcing seniors out into the suburbs, and Robertson claims it hinders businesses abilities to attract talent into the cities.
“Whether you’re looking to pay off your mortgage, enter the market, trying to find a good apartment in a city, or avoid seeking emergency shelter, Canada’s housing crunch is impacting all of us.”
He says Canada is falling far behind the objective of putting a roof over everyone’s head.
The campaign is called “Fixing Canada’s Housing Crunch” and it comes in advance of the 2014 federal budget. Communities in every region will look to pass a resolution calling for the government to take action.
“We believe the government’s commitment in Budget 2013 to evidence-based solutions such as the Housing First approach for homelessness is a promising start, but they need to back it up with real results and expand that action to other areas of our affordable housing problem. Canada’s housing challenges are too big and too complex for any single order of government to solve on its own,” adds Robertson.
The mayors hope it will put a stop to people being priced out of the housing market which they say is currently putting too much pressure on a crowded rental market and forcing people onto the streets.
