[news] Fw: CHF BC News: Party platforms on affordable housing

[Paul Browning]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <info at chf.bc.ca>
To: "Paul Browning" <pnbrown at telus.net>
Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2004 3:48 PM
Subject: CHF BC News: Party platforms on affordable housing


> The following is a message circulated by the Canadian Housing and Renewal
> Association (CHRA) to members this week.
> 
> It includes a very good summary of party platforms specific to affordable
> housing.
> 
> ------------------------------------------
> 
> "This is a good news, bad news story.
> 
> First the good news: For the first time in over a decade, housing and
> homelessness have been a big issue in a federal election campaign. A
> majority of Canadians seem poised to vote for political parties that
> support investment in social housing.
> 
> Now the bad news: We could nevertheless end up with a government that
> doesn't care about housing.
> 
> I have a special and urgent request for you. Please take some time over
> the next week to talk to others in your community. We are extremely close
> to major progress on social housing and a housing-friendly House of
> Commons. But only YOU can make that happen. Only YOU can work with others
> to educate voters who care about housing and get them to the polls.
> 
> Please share the information below. Go to www.chra-achru.ca for
> information.
> 
> Here's where the parties stand:
> 
> CONSERVATIVES - Affordable housing is not a priority
> 
> The Conservatives do not believe the federal government should help
> communities and provinces build social housing.
> 
> The Conservatives' list of infrastructure priorities does not include
> housing. Nor have the Conservatives made commitments to continue existing
> programs like the Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program (RRAP) or
> the Supporting Community Partnership Initiative (SCPI).
> 
> The Conservative platform suggests the best way to help low-income
> Canadians is by cutting taxes. But CHRA is concerned that existing
> programs and social investments will be vulnerable to being cut in order
> to pay for the proposed tax cuts.
> 
> 
> LIBERALS - Expand existing programs and build housing
> 
> Prime Minister Paul Martin announced $1.5 billion in new funding for
> housing over five years in a dedicated fund that can only be used for
> social housing. In addition, he will keep intact current funding for
> programs that renovate aging housing (RRAP) and that help the homeless
> (SCPI).
> 
> CHRA estimates the Liberal commitment will produce a total of 35,000 to
> 60,000 new units over the next five years.
> 
> The Prime Minister has also promised to look at better ways to get more
> housing built faster, like a national non-profit housing foundation called
> "Housing Works" that has been studied by CHRA.
> 
> 
> NDP - Putting housing front and centre
> 
> NDP leader Jack Layton has made investment in affordable housing one of
> his key messages, including underlining its importance during the national
> leaders' debate. Mr. Layton's party will push for an ambitious investment
> in social housing. The NDP platform pledges:
> 
> - A 10-year national housing program to build 200,000 affordable and co-op
> housing units, renovate 100,000 existing units, and provide rent
> supplements to 40,000 low-income tenants.
> 
> - Tax incentives to renovate buildings in downtown cores.
> 
> - To use the profits generated by CMHC to underwrite low-interest
> mortgages for affordable housing, and to change CMHC's mandate to
> facilitate/fund community-based housing organizations.
> 
> BLOC QUÉBÉCOIS - Working for a 1% solution
> 
> Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe has consistently made the case for
> social housing and has argued that the Liberal government's proposed
> five-year investment of $1.5 billion is insufficient.
> 
> Mr. Duceppe has worked with social groups in Quebec to promote the 1%
> solution - having governments invest one per cent of their budgets in
> social housing. It is estimated that this would generate a $2 billion
> investment over three years.
> 
> 
> If you care about housing, you have just days to help elect a government
> that agrees with you! Go to www.chra-achru.ca now!"
> 
> Joyce Potter
> President, CHRA
> 
> -------------------
> 
> ...and visit CHF BC's Election Central page at
> http://www.chf.bc.ca/pages/election.asp (which now includes a detailed
> account of our June 17 Election Forum on Affordable Housing).
> 
> 
> ---------------
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> BC, please let us know by sending an email to Scott Jackson
> <sjackson at chf.bc.ca>.
> 
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