HOME FUNDS A BAND-AID
Afederal decision to spend an extra $150 million on affordable housing in B.C. — which realistically means Metro Vancouver, where the problem is largest, most pressing and has so far proved most intractable — is timely, commendable and welcome. There will be those on the libertarian fringe, of course, who think any meddling in markets is a bad idea, and those who think the opposite. But generally, this is a modest and moderate attempt to provide redress for a problem that began with Liberal austerity measures imposed 25 years ago, which then fulminated under subsequent Conservative governments, the last of which voted down a proposed national housing strategy in 2013.
This Liberal initiative will put $50.9 million toward repairs and efficiency improvements for social housing and another $25.2 million for repair and construction of affordable housing for seniors. Construction and repair of shelters and transition housing for domestic violence victims will get $10.9 million, and the remaining funds, $63 million, are earmarked for projects to be decided by the provincial government.
Affordable housing is more than a humanitarian problem for Metro Vancouver. Affordable housing for renters as well as homeowners is a crucial component in the region’s competitiveness and even, long term, its viability as the city we share and love. People who cannot find affordable housing face pressure to leave — that mostly affects young people and young families seeking entry-level accommodation. Unaffordable housing is a driver of upward pressure on wages, particularly in service sector occupations, and ultimately on prices for everyone.
Laudable as the federal contribution is, realism suggests it represents a short-term Band-Aid for a much larger long-term problem. This isn’t just a Metro Vancouver issue: It’s a national crisis. We need a coherent national strategy for finding solutions. The advocacy group Citizens for Public Justice estimates that 3.2 million Canadians now face housing needs, among them one in five aboriginal people and one in three children in single-parent families. It warns that in the country’s three largest cities, 125,000 families now seek affordable housing. Yet Canada remains the only G8 nation not to have a national housing strategy.
In fairness, the Liberal government promises it will develop a long-term national housing plan and establish a national housing commission by year end. Countries like Germany and Finland are proof that workable solutions can be obtained. Canada must fashion its own model of course, but the time has now come to do so and the Metro initiative is hopefully a start.