VICTORIA, B.C. – Statement from Rob Botterell, MLA for North Saanich and the Islands, on the housing and infrastructure announcement from Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier David Eby:
“When conservative government’s slashed social housing projects in the ’80s, it created a ticking time bomb. Investments in affordable housing, transit, and healthcare are welcome, but the lack of an actual plan today and the promise of it coming in fall, is not enough. This has been an issue festering for decades. When the BC NDP cut the Community Housing Fund this past budget, it signaled a retreat, not a plan. And the announcement, while welcomed, feels like an idea of a plan, rather than the action that’s been needed. The details matter.
We need assurances this fall that public funds won’t simply subsidize developer profits, that homebuyers won’t face price gouging, and that deeply affordable and social housing will be created and protected. With the Community Housing Fund recently abandoned in BC, it’s fair to ask what broader strategy will ensure housing is treated as a home first, not a financial asset.”
The announcement is a positive step, but the real test will be the details this fall.”
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