A headline you won’t read from BC Housing: “BC Built Only 280 Additional Social Housing Units in Last Five Years”. Seth Klein and Lorraine Copas have published a report with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) that analyzed BC Housing press releases and compared the published numbers with the number of units built. CCPA BC Office’s latest release, “Unpacking the Housing Numbers: How much new social housing is BC building?” highlights how the BC Government’s own data reveals an overall net increase of only 280 social housing units over the past 5 years. You can support more research like this by becoming a member or donating to CCPA. Tax receipts available for contributions over $35.
The Federal Government hampers BC's ability to build new social housing units by not funding permanent housing construction programs as it did before 1993. The first step to get the Federal Government back on board is through the development of a National Housing Strategy. New Democrat MP Libby Davies is leading the fight in Ottawa with Bill C-304. This bill creates a National Housing Strategy and is scheduled for the 3rd and final reading on October 20, 2010. The federal Liberals, BC Union of Municipalities and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities are strong supporters of this bill, so the pressure needs to be applied to BC federal Conservative MPs and the Bloc Québécois.
Find out more about the work being done to support Bill C-304 at Pivot Legal Society’s Red Tent Campaign and ACORN Canada.
For updates on social housing construction and affordable housing campaigns, join Citywide Housing Coalition at www.citywidehousingcoalition.org.
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