Time to supercharge housing, not shortcircuit it

David Eby says he wants more homes built in B.C., but his record tells a different story.

Nearly 800,000 more people live in B.C. than in 2017, yet spending on new homes has dropped in six of the last seven years. That would be bad enough on its own. But it's happening while rent, groceries and nearly everything else cost far more than they did a few years ago. For families who were already struggling, a shortage of homes is a kick while they're down.

Homes don't get built when building them costs too much and takes too long. Under Eby, builders have faced new taxes, rising development fees and permits that can take years to come through. Every one of those costs ends up in the price a family pays.

Now, in the middle of an election, Eby wants to add another one. He has promised a new tax on condos that builders haven't sold within a year. Asked about the families who own those building companies, Eby said, "Those families aren't my priority."

Eby may think a tax like this only hurts the people at the top. It doesn't.

Every new cost on building gets passed down to the people buying and renting, and some homes never get built at all. The ones who pay are working families:

• A young couple saving for their first condo watches the price climb out of reach.
• A nurse can't find a rental she can afford near the hospital where she works.
• Parents watch their kids move to Alberta because Eby made B.C. too expensive to stay.

On October 24, vote for a government that will get B.C. building again.

#BCpoli #BCElection #BuildingBCRight