NDP unveils agenda for prosperous, fair and sustainable cities

After two-and-a-half years of consulting Canadians, NDP Urban Affairs critic Matthew Kellway (Beaches – East York) and NDP Housing critic Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet (Hochelaga) are introducing the NDP’s agenda for Canadian cities.

“The majority of us lead lives that are urban, from downtowns to suburbs to places in between. We have a national interest in ensuring the success of our cities. Successive Liberal and Conservative governments have failed to understand our urban reality,” said Kellway. “Working with provinces and cities, the NDP is prepared to do our part to build into Canada’s cities the infrastructure necessary to ensure that they are prosperous, fair and sustainable places to live.”

The NDP’s Urban Agenda is‎ the product of extensive and ongoing consultations with Canadians, 80 per cent of whom live in urban communities. It sets out a vision of Canadian cities with modern, innovative economies, with the tools for prosperity and mitigating global warming more equally shared.

“Access to affordable housing is a fundamental human right yet Canada is the only major country without a national housing strategy,” said Boutin-Sweet. “New Democrats are ready to work with other levels of government, Aboriginal groups and civil society organizations to ensure that housing is available and affordable.”