A quarter of a million British Columbians pay more than 30% of their income for rent. The statistics are worse on Cortes Island, where it applies to almost half of the tenants, and improves the closer you get to Campbell River. In response to the COVID crisis, the NDP Government provided a rental supplement of between $300 and $500 a month, but that ended on August 31st. The Green party just announced they would earmark $500 million for rental relief, and prioritize funding people who pay more than 30% of their income – but it is extremely unlikely the Greens will form the next government. So what do the candidates in our riding have to say about the affordable rental crisis?
Continue reading Election 2020: the affordable rental crisisCategory Archives: Housing
Election 2020: Liberals’ Tough Talk on Homelessness Is Heartless and Uninformed, Say Advocates
By Jen St. Denis, The Tyee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
People who have been working on the housing file for years in British Columbia are cringing at BC Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson’s “law and order” framing that connects crime with increasing homelessness.
Continue reading Election 2020: Liberals’ Tough Talk on Homelessness Is Heartless and Uninformed, Say Advocates
Election 2020: What can the government do about tent cities
This program was funded by a grant from the Community Radio Fund of Canada and the Government of Canada’s Local Journalism Initiative.
The BC Liberals are calling for an immediate end to the tent cities that have sprung up in Campbell River, as well as larger cities like Vancouver and Victoria.
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Election 2020: Affordable Homes
One of the key issues in this election is British Columbia’s lack of affordable housing. Earlier this year, the NDP government stated that it built, or is building, 25,000 new affordable homes.
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Finding Home: Options and Challenges
This article is the first in a three part podcast series called Finding Home.
The first podcast features Sandra Wood and Ian Scott discussing the options and challenges for creating affordable housing that they have encountered in pursuing the creation of four affordable rental units for seniors and 20 units for all ages on Cortes. That podcast is almost two hours long and includes a number of questions and answers from local community members. Please listen to the podcast for more in-depth explanation of the Seniors Village expansion and the Rainbow Ridge project.
Continue reading Finding Home: Options and Challenges