Jagmeet Singh on Canada-wide tour to fight for people and homes they can afford

NDP Leader is sharing the NDP’s solutions to help Canadians find a place to call home

OTTAWA — Today, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh continued to talk to Canadians about his plan to help families find a home while on a Canada-wide tour. With virtual stops in Ottawa, Windsor-Essex, Saskatoon and Kamloops, Singh heard from people who are unable to find a home they can afford in their communities. While Justin Trudeau says he recognizes the housing crisis, he acts as if there isn’t one and since his government has been in power, the housing crisis has only gotten worse for families.

“The housing crisis across Canada is hurting people and their ability to find a good home. From evictions to the lack of affordable homes, people are having to leave the communities they live and work in to find a place to live. And the pandemic has made things worse,” said Singh. “Justin Trudeau has been in power for six years and since then, housing prices have only gone up. He's focused on protecting the profits of the ultra-rich, while Canadian families are struggling to find homes they can afford. New Democrats will keep fighting to help families find a place to live.”

On his national tour, Singh reiterated the NDP’s commitment to invest in building half a million homes across the country over ten years and implement a 20 percent tax for foreign buyers. Unlike the Liberals, the NDP has the courage to make the ultra-rich pay their fair share to pay for the recovery. The NDP will also put measures in place to tackle money laundering that increases real estate speculation and makes it harder for families to find a home they can afford.

“The reality is that families, individuals, single parents and seniors alike are unable to obtain safe, secure, and affordable housing across the country,” said NDP Housing Critic, Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East). “This is a very real struggle for so many across Canada. This is a crisis and it is steadily getting worse. In all their years in power, the Liberals failed to address the crisis with the action it needs to help families find a place to call home. We need real leadership to fight for people, not for the ultra-rich. The NDP will continue to fight for people.”

The NDP has also proposed that the federal government:

• Puts measures in place to tackle money laundering that increases real estate speculation.
• Stimulates the construction of co-op and non-profit social housing by establishing Quick Start Funds to streamline the application process and to help communities get the expertise and assistance they need to get their projects off the ground now.
• Encourages the construction of affordable housing by waiving the federal portion of the GST/HST on the construction of new affordable rental housing. This simple change will help build new housing faster and keep it affordable over the long term.
• Reintroduces 30-year CMHC-insured mortgages for first-time homebuyers. This will allow for lower monthly payments, leaving more money in the pockets of families to make ends meet.
• Helps people pay for closing costs by doubling the homebuyer's tax credit to $1,500.