There are about 16.3 million homes in the country. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. last year calculated that, for prices to moderate, 5.8 million more are needed over the next decade – that’s 3.5 million on top of the 2.3 million that would otherwise be built. Look at those numbers and wonder why the Prime Minister held a press conference for 214 homes. Look at those numbers and consider the national housing strategy’s modest impact, 107,519 homes, so far.
Many homes are vacant due waiting to make money via AirBnB.
Many office towers are empty and could be converted to apartments
Some homes are empty because they are investment vehicles and must be kept pristine to keep their value.
Homes are made unaffordable by Corporations outbidding anyone trying to buy a home.
Please note that all these issues are provincial domain. (b/c of division of powers) The PROVINCES are the ones doing nothing but it’s politically advantageous for them to make the Federal look bad.
Since JT is probably not going to win the next election, could he call the Provinces’ bluff and declare martial law on provinces that shirk their responsibilities on the housing issue?
With you until the last sentence, and it’s “martial law” not “marshal”. Handing over government to the military would be a very weird reaction to failures in provincial housing policy.
Yeah there’s no way anybody genuinely believed he’s going to declare martial law over the housing crisis he doesn’t give a shit about.
AirBnB is horrible, in Montréal there is families in the street and a lot of people struggling to find something/just live, and there is something like 13’000 airbnb, most of them illegals. They are building thousands and thousands of condo, at 400k+, I checked some around me, they are 600k+, plus easily 400$/month for taxes, and have like 600$ fee every fucking month on top of that. Who can buy that? Or they are building “condos for rent”, you can not buy them, only rent them, 2k+/month. How can people earning 2k/month can live?
These are provincial domain you’re right, but I think the point of this editorial is that since the provinces aren’t doing their part (not by a LOT) the federal government needs to do more where it can.
The feds could start building affordable homes again like they used to. They have a history of building homes, I dont know why this isnt being discussed.
They could also study what other countries have done with their housing policies and copy what works. They need to take this crisis seriously and think outside the box.
Both provincial and federal government need to be taking major action here.