Housing issues hardly on election radar
(I know I’m not meant to talk about the federal election here, but I have a few tabs I either have to link or blow away. Please bear with me. It will be over soon.)
Important city issues like affordable rents and help for the homeless were hardly on the radar of federal parties during this election campaign. Justin Ling puts it in a nutshell here: this election campaign sucked. Toula Drimonis also has an excellent summary of why this campaign was a mess.
Valérie Plante has been asking for commitments to fund transit projects, the Conservatives having indicated they will cut infrastructure funding should they get a majority. But practical issues like this have been swamped under rumours and fragments of detrimental personal histories. I watched that totally fake rumour from Justin T.’s schoolteaching days steamroller through Twitter, perking up lots of people enjoying the enactment of outrage over a story – hardly even a story, since it was mostly dark hints and implications – that had no foundation (but that many people probably still think is evidence of a coverup).
ipolitics.ca looked at an issue I haven’t seen mentioned at all: people living alone. Every party drones on about families, families, middle class families. This item says one-person deals are now the most common type of household in the country, but we don’t carry the emotional impact so nobody cares to raise the point that it’s more expensive to pay the rent solo.
It’s going to be a federal election campaign windup weekend. Let’s just hope there are some pothole stories to keep this blog on the straight and narrow.
ant6n 22:10 on 2019-10-18 Permalink
FYI, poll aggregator 338canada.com says there’s a 1.7% chance of a Conservative majority.
Kate 22:16 on 2019-10-18 Permalink
That’s excellent news, ant6n.
Jonathan 01:09 on 2019-10-19 Permalink
I didn’t see it in the iPolitics article when they spoke with the NDP, but I did read somewhere that Singh mentioned he would task the CMHC with encouraging non traditional mortgage lending, such as co living arrangements. I know that I encountered a lot of difficulty trying to get a bank to approve going in with friends on the purchase of a multiplex. There is really no bank doing this except VanCity in BC.
I definitely feel like there is too much focus on families. As a person in a common law same sex relationship without an intention of ever (really, never) having children, I don’t feel like many of the proposals really benefit me.
Tim 21:39 on 2019-10-19 Permalink
So what policies are you looking for Jonathan? Income splitting?
If there is too much focus on families, where should that extraneous focus be dedicated?
JONATHAN 23:43 on 2019-10-19 Permalink
Hi Tim, I’m not speaking of specific policies. But I think looking into facilitating co living through the CMHC would be useful. For your answer, I’d suggest you read that article.
Improved public transit, improving interprovincial trade and migration, affordable housing, carbon emissions reductions, a national transportation plan, those are all good starts for me.
Tim 23:13 on 2019-10-20 Permalink
All solid stuff Jonathan. Not necessarily higher than family stuff in my books, but all relevant to a wide range of people. I agree that there should be no reason why friends with good credit/standing should be prevented from property purchases.