Rally in Burnaby calling for the end of demolition of affordable housing units

BURNABY (NEWS 1130) – Affordable housing was at the heart of a rally cry in Metrotown as dozens gathered to protest the demolition of low-rise apartment buildings.

A few dozen people braved the rain today to protest the demolition of affordable housing units.

Protesters are calling for all three levels of government to help.

Maria Wallstam, with the Social Housing Alliance, is an organizer, she says these expensive, high-rise condo units are only adding to the affordable housing crisis.

“In the last couple years, hundreds of units have been lost and there are more and more sites being bought up. So if you walk around the neighbourhood you’ll see big holes in the ground where it used to be rental housing.”

Wallstam wants action. “”Put a moratorium on the demolition of affordable housing and rental housing here in the neighbourhood and were also calling on the higher level of governments to start funding social housing, affordable housing, co-op housing again and actually increase taxes to do so because that’s the only way we can get out of this housing crisis.”

She says hundreds of housing units have already been lost and even more are slated to be.

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