Vancouver town hall panel says government needs to do more to make housing affordable
Posted February 18, 2017 1:43 pm.
Last Updated February 18, 2017 1:44 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – With the average rent in Vancouver hundreds of dollars more than Canada’s next most expensive city, who can actually afford to shell out $1,700 a month?
An affordable housing town hall is hearing from students, seniors, low-income earners, and young couples wanting to start a family who are all at their breaking point.
The town hall panel estimates you would need to make $80,000 a year or more to live in any new rental coming online in Vancouver.
It’s like we’re going backward instead of forward according to Majorie White, a longtime advocate for First Nations people.
She says no level of government is doing enough.
“Not just one province or leaving a province out,” she says, adding everyone has a role to play.
Welfare advocate Jean says the PM needs to act on affordability in order to combat racism and anti-immigration sentiment. pic.twitter.com/hMvrjOJSJl
— Stephanie Froese (@StephanieFroese) February 18, 2017
Meantime, people like Jean say there seems to fewer and fewer options each passing month.
“I live in a co-op, I’ve lived there for 25 years, and I’m afraid to move,” she says.
The town hall panel is suggesting bringing back subsidized projects. Cheyanne agrees, adding welfare rates should go up as well.
“I see a lot of young moms that are pregnant that are looking for housing. Then they have the ministry step in and start to investigate them or that they can’t find stable housing before the child comes home.”
