Jagmeet Singh Fights the Housing Crisis

MONTREAL - Jagmeet Singh, Leader of the NDP, joined Alexandre Boulerice, Deputy Leader of the NDP and MP for Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie, in a virtual press conference in Montreal, to propose concrete solutions to the housing crisis that is plaguing the city. This crisis had been felt for years, but the pandemic has only exacerbated it and many people are now struggling to find affordable, quality housing.

"What is happening right now is appalling. The people who have been hardest hit by the pandemic are among those who are suffering the most from the housing crisis," said Singh. "Justin Trudeau may tell us that he recognizes there is a crisis, but his actions and investments are not consistent with the magnitude of the crisis. He's been in power for six years and things are only getting worse. People need a government that is willing to do what it takes to address this crisis. "

In the past year, the median price of a single-family home in Montreal has risen by 32 per cent, while the average cost of rent in the Greater Montreal area has jumped by 4.2 per cent, the highest since the beginning of the century.

During the press conference, the NDP proposed major investments aimed at building half a million social and affordable housing units across the country over a period of ten years as well as the implementation of a 20 per cent tax for foreign buyers. Singh also stated that the federal government can work with the provincial government to impose a moratorium on evictions as long as the pandemic continues. The NDP also reiterated its call for a rent subsidy for individuals, similar to what the government has done for commercial rents. This would help people immediately.

"Justin Trudeau had the opportunity to do something meaningful in his last budget - but he didn't," says Boulerice. "Justin Trudeau's Liberals are standing by while the crisis worsens. If we really want to fight the housing crisis, we need massive actions and investments in the right places. There are no silver bullet solutions to the crisis, we must invest quickly to make up for the damage caused by years of Liberal and Conservative underfunding. "

Canadians deserve to be housed without going broke.

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Facts

The NDP has also proposed in the past that the federal government :

• Puts measures in place to tackle money laundering that increases real estate speculation;
• - Stimulate 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 young families to make ends meet.
• - Also helps people pay for closing costs by doubling the homebuyer's tax credit to $1500.