BC Housing scandal an appalling mess.
This is only one chapter of many reprehensible messes creating B.C.’s housing crisis. It didn’t start or stop with what is now being called favoritism at Atira Women’s Resource Society. Let’s look back at some of the other issues caused by government boondoggling in housing. In 1987, then-premier Bill Vander Zalm introduced the “property tax transfer” to be used for “affordable housing,” this turned out to be a tax windfall for the government, collecting billions in tax dollars but here we are with the current premier decrying an affordability housing crisis. Where did those billions go … general revenue.
When the Liberals, now called BC United, were in power they were cleared of money laundering in the housing market, but never explained how people were paying millions in cash for houses.
While this was going on the government put profits before people, reno-evictions were at pandemic levels with developers and investors buying up older multi-living complexes, throwing some paint and discount appliances, while displacing vulnerable seniors and families with no guarantees of affordability at the end of these so-called renovations.
Sidney was one of those targeted areas for developers and investors. The conglomerates will preach their investors are working for pension plans, but missing is the pensioners sacrificed for shareholders. I’m a pensioner and the best increase I’ve had is three per cent when inflation is more than double that. Whooha. How does this work for the pensioner who was paying $750-$800 per month on their rental, after renovation, now facing $1,400-$2,000 a month cost?
Where is government in regulating this? Oh wait, now Premier Eby will interfere with local government building permits to meet the needs, while ignoring the CRD’s growth plan numbers for water and sewer. So after they are finished milking people for every housing-related tax – the new plan is to take every drop of potable water until this is a crisis! Why doesn’t government work together at every level and come up with a “workable” plan instead of overstepping its governance?
Jo-Anne Berezanski
North Saanich
