TakingtheNextSteponAffordableHousing

HousingaffordabilityisagrowingchallengeacrossCanada.Theabilitytohaveasafe,secureplacetoliveiscrucialtoquality oflife,publichealth,personalsafety,andeconomicopportunity.Withoutadequatehousing,familiesaretornapartthrough poverty,personalhealthisatrisk,andopportunitiesforeducationandjobadvancementarereduced. Rightnow,StephenHarperisignoringthegrowingthreatstoaffordablehousingincitiesthroughoutCanada.Ourcountryis theonlyG8nationwithoutanationalhousingstrategy. The affordable housing crisis impacts Canadians across the country. An estimated 150,000300,000 Canadians are visibly homeless.Oneandahalfmillionhouseholdsareinvoluntarilypayingmorethan30%oftheirincomeonshelter. Thelackofaffordablehousingisincreasinginequalityinoururbancentres.Weneedafederalgovernmentthatrecognizes theCanadianhousingchallengeandiswillingtoaddressit. Despiteaclearneedforaffordablehousing,therealestatemarketisnotproducinghousingthatmeetstheneedsofworking Canadians.Renterhouseholdsaregrowingat50,000annually,butoverthepastdecade,Canadahashadanetlossof18,000 rentalunits.Whilewagesremainstagnantordecline,housingcostscontinuetorise. Canadiansaregettingincreasinglyshutoutofthehousingmarket,spendingmoreandmoreoftheirincomeonhousing,and forthose whoareonthemargins,eitherbarelyholdingonorforcedtolive onthestreets.Asleaderofthe FederalNew DemocracticParty,ThomasMulcairwilltakeactiontogetnewaffordablehousingbuiltthatmeetstheneedsofCanadians.

Makingcoophousingapriority

Wewillbuildonthe NDPscommitmenttodelivernewaffordable housingforCanadiansbycommittingtoworkwiththeprovinceson a comprehensive plan toget new coop housing built; investing in coop housing through the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation will deliver thousands of affordable housing opportunitiesforfamiliesacrossCanada We will use the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporations abilitytoaccesslowinterestloanstoprovidefundingfornewrental housing construction; a rental housing loan program will inject funds into the housing sector, spurring job creation in the constructionindustryandgettingnewrentalhousingbuiltatatime whenwedesperatelyneedit

Reinvestinginrentalhousing