Still shocked by reaction

Dear editor: I am still in a state of shock and confusion after the “public meeting” I attended last Sunday to address the recently announced speculation tax.

The “public meeting” featured Liberal MLAs, a developer and a tax accountant for the business community decrying how this tax is, apparently, going to ruin our economy and bring about recessions on par with those of 1982 and 2008. Seems a bit dramatic.

Nobody on the panel spoke the housing crisis we are facing in B.C. and the Okanagan. Or that Kelowna has the lowest rental vacancy rate in the country (0.2 per cent on average and zero per cent for homes with three-plus bedrooms). Or how some 25 per cent of homes in the downtown core are empty because non-residents do not live in them for most of the year or rent them out to locals.

Or how average rents have gone up 15 per cent between 2017 and 2018 because of this incredibly low availability of rental stock.

When I got up to draw attention to this, I was booed and heckled.

I understand that people don’t like paying taxes. But, I also understand that we have an endemic housing affordability crisis and we need measures to address it. This tax is intended to encourage people to rent empty houses, create more rental stock, and hopefully some downward pressure on skyrocketing rents.

The tax exempts homes valued at less than $400,000, cottages and cabins. B.C. residents can write off the tax against their incomes.

I think that people who can afford not just one but two (or more) homes need to be part of the solution as we collectively address this housing crisis.

In my work with the B.C. Poverty Reduction Coalition, I distributed surveys to local service providers and asked them to share with their clients who are struggling with poverty.

Much of what I read in those surveys is absolutely heartwrenching.

When asked about the of impacts of the high cost of living, people said things like:

“Skipping meals so my child can eat.”

“Move where there’s cheaper rent.”

“I have no social life because I can’t afford to do anything.” “Lost home of 15 years.” “Not filling prescriptions.” “PTSD, anxiety, mild depression.” “Not able to eat healthy.” “No extracurricular activities for kids.” If you ask me, we should be having public meetings to address issues like this in our community. Christine Mettler Okanagan Coordinator B.C. Poverty Reduction Coalition