I am so sick of hearing, reading, writing, thinking and talking about the high cost of housing and homelessness in Vancouver. And really, Gentle Reader, why should I worry about it? I`m okay. I live in Social Housing. For the rest of my life I will likely be paying thirty percent or less of my monthly income on rent. It isn`t ideal. I could well be spending up to three decades or longer in this tiny bachelor unit in a relatively unsafe part of downtown Vancouver. I also know how scary it is out there. If anything should happen to jeopardize or deprive me of my housing I would be in the deepest possible doo-doo. So, being short on alternatives as I am, I will never be able to survive in this fabulously overpriced city in market housing of any variety. And this is every bit as likely as it is that my wages are going to remain frozen at twelve glorious dollars an hour until the minimum wage rises above that sum.
I am not suffering. Even with rising food costs I am still able to live within the budget I created for myself ten years ago. I simply no longer eat out. I am also not as generous with charitable giving as I used to be. I used to be a regular donor to the food bank. Now, hardly ever. Likewise with street beggars. I used to give frequently and generously, especially for someone earning only a little above minimum wage. But then I became suspicious that a lot of the money I was giving was being spent on drugs, alcohol, gambling and cigarettes, or at least keeping their sorry asses alive while they waited for their next welfare check to blow on another batch of self-destructive fun. I still give sometimes, if only to protect my soul from shrinking incurably. I have a bank account, savings and the capacity to travel every year, cheaply mind you, and always in Latin America (so far, Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia, then back to Costa Rica next year.
I am not complaining. I am still doing a lot better than many other people. I can still live in this beautiful city. I have also been blessed with a capacity for enjoying life, even if it's just a short walk to buy a jug of milk, or listening to a cd of Baroque music while working on my art, or having coffee with a good friend, or practicing Spanish on Skype with a friend in Venezuela or Honduras.
I have survival guilt. Severe survival guilt, given my own personal experience of being homeless. If anyone has an obligation to speak out about homelessness and housing unaffordability it should be me. And outside of writing this blog and annoying politicians I am not really doing a hell of a lot these days. One very good friend of mine, whom I will not name out of respect for his privacy (and I do like to keep my friends!) is currently occupying with several others in his collective an apartment building slated for demolition, a protest against the destruction of low cost housing and the displacement and driving out onto the street of the many low-income renters who make up our body politick.
I just received today from my Member of Parliament, the Hon. Hedy Fry an email detailing some funding, changes and reforms that the federal government are going to push through. Here it is:
Aaron,
Thank you for writing to my office with regard to the issue of rising housing prices in Vancouver. I appreciate hearing from constituents, as it keeps me grounded and helps me focus on your priorities, as your Member of Parliament. For previous generations of Canadians, home ownership was an attainable goal for those who worked hard and saved. However, this has become increasingly out of reach for many of my constituents. This is a complex issue that will require us to take into account foreign ownership, labour markets, population demographics, taxation and regulatory issues, vacant homes, and increasing the supply of affordable housing. Clearly, however, there must be a federal role in housing, working with provinces and territories, municipalities, NGOs, Co-ops, and the private sector.
Our Liberal government is closely following this issue. In December, we took action to stabilize the housing market, and in Budget 2016 we introduced several measures, listed below. This government is committed to finding a balance between housing affordability and protecting Canadian homeowners, many of whom have invested their savings into their homes. Just last month, I participated in a round-table in Vancouver with Prime Minister Trudeau, other Members of Parliament, local stakeholders, housing advocates, experts, and NGOs to develop solutions to mitigate the problem.
We hear the very real concerns of middle-class Canadian families, particularly the recent discussions surrounding speculation and “shadow flipping.” We are currently looking at this issue, and recognize that all levels of government have a role to play, especially the federal government. Budget 2016 allocated $500,000 to Statistics Canada in order to gather data on foreign investment in the housing market. This government is fully prepared to take further action if required. Furthermore, the Canada Revenue Agency is currently examining the emerging issue of “shadow flipping” in order to ensure that we find solutions that will discourage this trend.
Our government is also undertaking a full review of rising housing prices in high-priced markets such as Vancouver, and will evaluate all policy tools that can make sure home ownership is within reach for my constituents in Vancouver. As you may be aware, Budget 2016 also included several concrete measures which I can outline below:
· Investing over $500 million in the next two years working with provinces and municipalities to build new units, renovate existing housing, and provide rent supplements;
· Reallocating $30 million over two years for Co-op rent subsides, an interim measure while all levels of government seek out long-term solutions;
· Allocating $111.8 million to projects designed to prevent and reduce homelessness in Canada;
· Giving Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. $208.3 million for the Affordable Rental Housing Initiative Fund, which supports up to 4,000 units;
· Empowering CMHC to provide $500 million in loans each year to cities and developers to build new affordable rental housing projects, enabling over 10,000 new units in the next five years;
· Developing a National Housing Strategy by January 2017, working with provincial, territorial, Indigenous, local governments, and a variety of stakeholders and groups.
I have long been an advocate for the full spectrum of housing needs, and my BC colleagues and I continue to be engaged with stakeholders on this issue.
Once again, thank you for writing to me about Vancouver’s housing prices. I appreciate the opportunity to present some of the concrete actions being taken by our government. Please do not hesitate to write again should you have any further questions, on this topic or any other.
Sincerely,
Hon. Hedy Fry, PC, MP
Chair, Pacific Liberal Caucus
Vancouver Centre
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Thank you Hedy. I am very glad that these things are being addressed. As you know here in BC we live with the sad irony of one of the country`s most robust economies and one of the biggest problems with homelessness. I look forward to seeing these measures implemented.
take care
Aaron
Please check my website: http://thesearepaintings.googlepages.com
Just one little note to conclude, Gentle Reader: Equity, Schmequity. Housing is not an investment, it is having a place to live. When a few greedy homeowners are allowed to hold the rest of us hostage because they want to make their cool million off their equity we will know that things have already tilted too far. Whoops! Too late!
Um...Hedy?
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