Denise Savoie
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SAVOIE WELCOMES HOUSING AFFORDABILTY WEEK, CALLS ON CONSERVATIVES TO ACT
VICTORIA – Victoria MP Denise Savoie today welcomed the proclamation of “Housing Affordability Week” (October 23 to 27) by the three municipalities in her riding, and said the need for the federal government to reinvest in housing is more urgent than ever.
“I commend Victoria, Oak Bay and Saanich for declaring this week housing affordability week,” Savoie said.
Savoie also praised the City of Victoria for stepping forward with $20,000 in funding for the Out of the Rain youth shelter. “But, she argued, “it’s unfair and unrealistic to expect the problems of unaffordable housing and homelessness to be solved by municipalities on their own. Both provincial and federal levels of government need to invest in housing – and that must mean real housing units, not just rent supplements.”
Savoie noted that awareness of housing and homelessness issues is currently high in Victoria, due in part to recent reports of increasing numbers of people sleeping in parkades, and a predicted doubling of the local homeless population. “This is just the most recent evidence of a long-standing problem that’s just getting worse. The need for immediate federal reinvestment in housing couldn’t be more clear,” Savoie said.
Savoie pointed out that through the Victoria Urban Development Agreement, citizens and community groups agreed that housing is the number one priority for municipal, provincial, and federal cooperation.
“It is time for the Conservative government to listen to what Victoria is saying loud and clear, and do its part to grant the right to safe, decent housing to every citizen in this country,” she said.
In the last Parliament, the NDP succeeded in getting $1.6 billion allocated for affordable housing construction with no requirement of provincial or territorial matching funds. The federal NDP continues to call for a national affordable housing program and underwriting of low-interest mortgages for affordable housing, as part of the solution to the housing crisis.