YOUR PERSPECTIVE: B.C.’s housing crisis worse than ever under NDP
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The current NDP government spends a considerable amount of time talking about the housing crisis. They make announcements, mention how difficult it is for the average person to afford a home or rent, and stress that everyone has the right to a good home. And yet, nothing seems to change.
For the everyday people finding it harder than ever to make rent at the end of the month, or who see their dream of owning a home slipping away, it’s obvious that all the empty words from government have done absolutely nothing to improve affordability. In fact, by every metric, housing has only become less affordable under the leadership of this NDP government.
For example, a recent report from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) shows that three out of the four least affordable rental markets in the entire country are right here in B.C. Vancouver tops the list, followed by Victoria and Kelowna in the third and fourth spots. Vacancy rates remain at record lows and the average rent for purpose-built rentals has risen an incredible $361 per month since the NDP took office in 2017.
Here in the Fraser Valley, we’ve seen even higher rent increases than the rest of B.C. This is likely due to increased demand, as more people move away from Vancouver in search of affordability. In just six years, the average rent in Abbotsford-Mission increased by a whopping $407 a month. That means renters in our community are paying almost $5,000 more in rent every year than they were before this government came to power.
