NDP: With school starting back up, students need more affordable housing, not political games

VICTORIA – On Wednesday, Canada’s NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, joined by NDP MP Laurel Collins (Victoria), called for measures to build more homes that students can afford while they’re already trying to keep up with the costs of tuition, groceries and high bills.

The NDP wants to build more affordable housing by establishing a federal, cost-share initiative with the provinces and territories to build more homes that students can afford, giving a financial incentive to turn existing, empty office spaces into affordable housing, and by linking the allocation of study permits to institutions that prove they have affordable housing options.

“Every student deserves a place to live that they can afford while completing their studies. But as many students head back to school in the next few days, one of the biggest issues on the top of their minds isn’t preparing for another school year - it’s how they’re going to afford a place to live,” said Singh. “Right here in Victoria, the average one-bedroom apartment costs $2000 a month, and getting a place close to your university or college is extremely challenging. It’s nearly impossible for young people to afford this, especially since they’re already paying tuition and the costs of their textbooks.

While students scramble to keep up, help from Justin Trudeau and his government is nowhere to be found. Under the Liberals the housing crisis has gotten steadily worse and now we’re seeing that these students are paying the price.”

At the University of Victoria, only 10 per cent of students have access to on-campus housing, leaving approximately 20,000 students to find housing in a competitive private market. Years of cuts from Liberal and Conservative governments have left Victoria with nearly no apartment vacancies. After nine years of Pierre Poilievre in government and eight years of Justin Trudeau, Canada lost more than a million affordable homes.

“I’ve been hearing from students across Victoria who’ve had to resort to pricy short-term rentals or they’re camping until they can find somewhere to stay. They should never be put in this position. They deserve a safe place to call home that they can afford, and the government needs to help make that happen. But Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre seem to have the same plan when it comes to the housing crisis – pointing fingers and making it somebody else’s problem,” said Collins. “That doesn’t solve the problem for students. That’s why New Democrats are fighting to build more homes, so young people have more options and lower rent.”

“The federal government has the resources, the land and the power to build more affordable housing units in cities across the country. They just need the will to do it,” added Singh.