by Sean Orr | Wow: In Vancouver, house owners earned more sitting on their assets than entire population did by actually working last year. What a bunch of lazy bastards.
“But we have craft beer! And gay people! And food trucks! Plus you’re racist! OMG, shuddup” — this is our uncharacteristically truculent Mayor (paraphrased) in response to Vancouver’s internationally recognized affordability crisis (Why is Vancouver so Expensive?). Sorry Gregor, but despite increased job growth our economy is not comparable to London’s, New York’s, or San Francisco’s.
To make matters worse, only a fraction of new social housing units in Vancouver are guaranteed for low-income people. So…great news for the record number of homeless people.
Funny thing, though: when rental housing is built, NIMBYS oppose it: Parking-lot battle brews over five-storey rental proposed near Commercial Drive.
And just to rub it in for the people who can’t afford to live near where they work, they’re going to start charging drivers a fee-per-kilometre driven! Hope all of you “no” voters are happy.
If only we were living in a Elon Musk-envisioned type of simulation where Fox News is right and rent is under $500.
No wonder housing/poverty/homelessness is the number one concern facing British Columbia today, narrowing edging out “The bongo drums are waking me up” of course.
Noticeably absent from the list was realtors with laser beams shooting from eyes and flying vans.
Bonus: The more Music Waste changes, the more it stays the same.
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What’s the solution?
Close tax-loopholes, new speculation tax to discourage flipping, create/strengthen Vancouver Land Trust, strengthen rent bank, change def of social housing, increase welfare shelter allowance, create national housing strategy (only G12 country without one), make Real Estate Council more accountable or create new one to regulate the industry, reform the CMHC, MORE SUPPLY, more public transit (not Skytrain), limit AirBnBs where vacancy rate too low, tax AirBnb ‘businesses’ at commercial tax rate, and “research entry-level homeownership models to support young families who live and work in Vancouver.”
I’ll add: raise the minimum wage and end the Quebec Immigrant Investor Program as per Ian Young’s suggestion.