Raise the Rates - Demands

5. Build More Non-market Housing

Build at least 2000 units of non-market social housing per year in addition to assisted living units and shelter beds.

Why do we want more affordable social housing?

There is a severe lack of affordable social housing in BC. According to the Canada Housing and Mortgage Corporation, most cities and towns in the province recorded extremely low vacancy rates in the April 2007 rental survey. 13 of the 24 centres covered reported an apartment vacancy rate of less than one percent. Vancouver’s vacancy rate was 0.9%, slightly higher than Victoria at 0.8% and Kelowna at 0.7%.

This, combined with the low welfare rates and high rental prices, makes it very hard for the poorest people in BC to find a safe and clean place to live. Raise the Rates calls on the government to build 2000 units of non-market social housing per year in addition to assisted living and shelter beds.

Both the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (Article 25) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (Article 11) declare that housing is a basic human right.

February 4, 2008
Wellesley Institute's 2008 national housing report card shows that feds, most provinces fail to meet their own funding promises
The Wellesley Institute has released a National Housing Report Card finding that the federal government and most provinces “fail to meet their commitment to increase affordable housing funding by $2 billion.”

Starting in 2001, the federal government promised in an agreement with all the provinces and territories to add $1 billion to its housing spending for new affordable homes, but as of 2006, the national government had increased housing spending by only $234 million – or about a quarter of what they committed.  The provincial and territorial governments promised to match the federal dollars with $1 billion of their own money, but by 2007, combined provincial and territorial housing spending was actually down by $210 million.

The report gives both the federal government and BC a failing grade on housing; the federal government has drastically reduced spending, as has BC, where spending and affordability are both major concerns.  At $41 per person, BC spent the least per capita on affordable housing of all provinces and territories between 2001 and 2007.  Saskatchewan spent $256 per person, and Nunavut and the Northwest Territories spent thousands.

Full Report >>