Premier considers absentee homeowners tax to help cool market
Posted June 10, 2016 12:18 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
BURNABY (NEWS 1130) – Taxing homeowners who typically leave their property empty is an idea that is being floated by the provincial government. The premier says it is something that is being considered following a new poll that shows about 80 per cent of British Columbians support it.
However, Christy Clark isn’t providing any timeline on its potential introduction. “It’s something that we’re thinking about. The thing is, in Vancouver there aren’t many vacant houses according to the City of Vancouver [and] that one per cent of the houses are vacant.”
She’s also suggesting empty homes may not really be the problem that is driving up the cost of housing across the region. Clark feels the creation of more rental stock might be the more effective way to improve housing affordability.
The idea of taxing people is popular with all age groups, from a high of 89 per cent for residents between 18 and 34 to a low of 75 per cent among those aged 55 and over, according to Insights West.
And when it comes to how all levels of government are handling the housing crisis, people are not happy. Roughly 70 per cent of people are dissatisfied with the actions of the federal government. And the numbers are even worse for the provincial government at 76 per cent dissatisfied, but slightly better for municipal governments at 65 per cent.
Mayor weighs in on housing
Vancouver’s mayor wants Clark to follow through and hopes the province and federal government step up to help cool the housing market.
Gregor Robertson has repeatedly called for action, but nothing’s happened. He claims there are more than 10,000 empty homes across Vancouver and those homes have owners but only live there part-time or not at all.
He says the city has limited powers to do something about it. “We would love to get thousands into the rental market or ensure the homes are lived in and we are looking at the tools we might be able to use. We’ve asked the province for help in creating a new tool to tax empty homes.”
Robertson is also pushing for a speculation tax and a sales tax on luxury homes.
