Image: B.C. Premier David Eby makes housing announcement in Vancouver May 23, 2024 / BC Govt / Flickr

By MLA Mike de Jong, Abbotsford West

OPINION

YOUR PERSPECTIVE: NDP housing mirage: reality vs rhetoric

Jun 5, 2024 | 9:26 AM

There’s no denying that the housing crisis in British Columbia has reached a critical point under the governance of David Eby and the NDP. Their management of this crippling crisis has been characterized by skyrocketing prices and insufficient housing supply and has been exacerbated by a series of missteps and failures.

Recent reports have exposed a disturbing pattern of NDP mismanagement at BC Housing, an organization critical to addressing housing issues in the province. The Ernst & Young review and the BDO report, both suppressed by the NDP, highlight severe financial mismanagement and lack of accountability within BC Housing. This mismanagement has not only wasted public funds but also failed to provide adequate support for the most vulnerable British Columbians.

David Eby’s approach has been marred by inconsistent policies and grandstanding. Despite promises to build 114,000 new housing units, only 7,219 have been completed since 2017, a stark contrast to the 570,000 homes needed by 2030 to ensure affordability, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. The gap between the NDP’s rhetoric and their ability to deliver tangible results widens every year.

The financial chaos at Atira Women’s Resource Society (AWRS), funded by BC Housing, is a case in point.

The leaked BDO report revealed that Atira operated on misleading financial information and assumed BC Housing would cover budget overages. Eby knew about this dysfunction during his tenure as NDP Housing Minister, yet nothing was done to fix it. Instead, millions of dollars continued to flow to an organization failing to meet its obligations, making the housing crisis even worse.

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Instead of solving problems, Eby focused on blaming others, like his co-authored studies that wrongfully blamed Asian homebuyers for the housing mess. Those studies were soon embarrassingly proven wrong, showing he’d rather point fingers than fix things.

On the other hand, BC United, led by Kevin Falcon, has a practical and thorough plan to tackle the housing crisis directly.

We know that fixing the housing crisis requires bold ideas and outside-the-box thinking, which is why I’m really enthusiastic about our Rent-to-Own program. Here’s how it works: renters can use their rent payments to save up for a down payment on a home. By addressing one of the biggest barriers to this process, renters are one step closer to becoming homeowners.

We’ll require developers of new housing to set aside up to 15 percent of homes in participating projects for eligible British Columbians who are first-time buyers only. Over three years, qualified participants will pay rent at market rates, with 100 percent of payments being applied toward their down payment — helping renters become homeowners. The ‘United to Fix Housing’ platform proposes several additional bold measures, including eliminating the Property Transfer Tax for first-time buyers on properties up to $1 million, potentially saving buyers up to $18,000 and making homeownership more accessible.

We have also committed to using empty public land to build affordable housing, offering non-profit and market homebuilders 99-year leases at minimal cost, provided they construct below-market rental housing for families and seniors.

Supply matters, which is why we will also eliminate the PST on residential construction. This will reduce the cost of building new homes and encourage more housing development.

Our initiatives are rooted in a strong commitment to innovative solutions and fiscal responsibility, unlike the NDP’s track record of mismanagement and empty promises. British Columbians deserve a government that not only acknowledges the housing crisis but gets results.

The failures of the NDP under David Eby’s leadership have left many without hope of owning a home. It’s time for a change, and BC United stands ready to deliver the solutions needed to restore the dream of homeownership in our province. With clear, actionable plans, BC United aims to address the root causes of the housing crisis, ensuring that every British Columbian has the opportunity for a secure and affordable home.

United, we will fix it.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of Fraser Valley Today or Pattison Media.