Skip to main content

BC's non-solution to homelessness and rental precarity

There's a disconnect in BC provincial politics between the problems and solutions of society. On the one hand, the province is stating it'll build 2,000 living units over ten years: "Province announces 'historic' agreement with Metro Vancouver, B.C. Housing to build 2,000 affordable homes". However, on the other hand homelessness in BC is above 8,000: "Data collected from 25 counts conducted across B.C. in 2020 and 2021 showed 8,665 people identified as homeless, including 222 children under the age of 19 who were accompanied by a parent or guardian", B.C.'s homeless population expected to show increase when counts return in March.

Just as importantly, even with an additional 2,000 public housing homes being built over ten years, there yet remains a significant amount of people earning below the recommended amount people need to earn to afford even the rent of lower-cost privately owned housing units. According to the BC Non-Profit Housing Association, there is an additional 35,000 units needed over the next ten years to help make housing costs affordable. 2,000 units will barely move that figure. They also suggest beefing up BC's non-profit housing societies as well as giving them more decision-making authority.

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives also offers a solution I agree with in its "How to build affordable rental housing in Vancouver" report. They suggest BC needs to build 10,000 non-profit affordable units per yer over the next ten years which is quite a difference from the BC government's figure of 2,000 altogether. The CCPA also suggests that the BC government itself needs to take leadership of this problem by developing something like a crown-corporation to build housing.

Seeing this disconnect, it's likely the BC government is not interested in reducing the profits of developers in the province which a robust public housing program would do assuredly. The BC government has chosen a side, and it sides with the rich. They'll provide a program which doesn't provide any solutions or relief for BCers living in homeless or rental precarity. It's business as usual for developers and landlords for the next ten years at least.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The human 'superpredator' is unique -- and unsustainable, study says

Los Angeles Times I can't imagine the world in ten years time. Twenty years. It'll be different. As different as the world was even in my own childhood. As different as the world was from my parents' childhoods. My elders speak of our role on this Earth as caretakers. However, we've abandoned this role in favor of materialistic pursuits. Of finite beliefs that will quickly degrade into ash when stressed, as heated glass touching cold water. All cultures historically warn us away from over-indulgence, and yet our own modern society celebrates this behavior as exemplary. This self-interest is our fatal flaw. We take what we want, and we give nothing. This cannot last. There are limits on this Earth we cannot comprehend in full. It is simply too vast. However, what little we do know should terrify us into acting more responsibly, even if only marginally. However we do not even do that. Our leaders urge us on to continue on as we have done. This cannot last. Eventuall...
1 comment
Read more

Highway of Tears gets $3M for transportation safety plan

CBC News Realistically, there's only so much can be done The long term goal should be to be helping these remote communities become more and more self-sufficient so there's less need for a community member to have to travel to and fro their home to a neighbouring town for particular needs, or to strengthen the presence of civilization along side those roads and highways. However, three million dollars? Honestly, it seems quite a bit low. This is over 700 kms, altogether, with many communities, in-between. And the winter conditions alone are harsh and demanding. Three million dollars will be used up, very quickly. The most helpful part of this would probably be the $1.6 million allocated toward BC Transit. An extra bus per community with an extra diver should help, although it's a question if the funding will stretch to cover all the communities, in-between. Considering this is the provincial government, they can only do so much, and only indirectly. Now it's up to ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Justin Trudeau A 'Stunning Hypocrite,' Top Environmentalist Says

The Huffington Post Canada Some pretty harsh words. And accurate, too. What is the point of more pipelines? Their effect on the Canadian economy seems negligible, at best. At worst, they're sinkholes, employing some, but draining time, money, and manpower from other industries that'd be of more benefit to the Canadian economy as a whole. At some point, the Canadian government's simply going to have to give up on the tar sands. They're a money pit. Canada's days as an oil-producing nation are long over. There's more money being spent on the tar sands then Canada's recouping, now. And the days when barrels of oil were selling at or over $100 per barrel are never coming back.
Post a Comment
Read more