Eby says governments must step up on housing, can't rely on private sector
It's “hard to understand” why many politicians still believe they can rely on the private sector to deliver affordable housing and instead it's time for governments to step up, B.C. Premier David Eby told a conference on Tuesday.
Eby said there are proposals at the federal level to sell public land and buildings to help solve the housing crisis, but B.C. is doing the opposite by taking inventory of provincially and municipally owned land in order to build more homes.
“We are acquiring properties,” he told the BC Non-profit Housing Association's annual conference. “We did an inventory of every property ... that the province owns, we passed a law to require school boards to do an inventory of the properties that they own and provide that information to government, (as well as) health authorities, cities. Everybody is looking, what land do we have?”
The province is buying land near bus and train corridors to build homes “so that people who actually use transit can actually afford to live near transit stations,” Eby added.
“These are the revolutionary ideas coming from our government, from the known radicals that are running the government,” he joked, drawing laughs from the crowd.
It's clear how Canada wound up in the current housing crisis, he said.
“We got here when government got out of the business of building housing for middle-income people,” the premier said.
Eby's NDP government is reversing that course, he said.
“It does matter who is in government” when it comes to housing, he said.
Eby said he's especially excited about the BC Builds program, saying the province will partner with builders to develop housing on government-owned lands.
“We are on the verge of some very significant announcements about that.”
The premier told the crowd that he was excited about the potential for the federal government to provide more money for housing in its budget update.
The update released later on Tuesday earmarked an additional $15 billion for low-cost loans to builds and developers and another $1 billion for affordable housing.
B.C. Finance Minister Katrine Conroy said she was pleased the federal government designated $15 billion toward housing, but concerned the money isn't set to start flowing until 2025.
“My worry is what they are proposing is not coming for a while,” she said at the legislature in Victoria. “We need it now. That's a real concern. I'm disappointed it's not until 2025-26.”
B.C. will continue with its robust housing agenda, Conroy said.
“We're going to still move ahead with our housing plan, but it definitely would have been a huge help to have the federal government come across with more funding,” she said.
The premier touted measures his government has introduced over the last year to tackle housing challenges, including bringing in legislation that prevents homeowner groups from banning owners from renting out their condos, and tightening rules for short-term rentals.
Eby said his family uses platforms such as Airbnb when they're on vacation, but the status quo can't continue when vacancy rates are so low and people looking to buy a home to live in are competing with those buying properties to run like a hotel.
“We can't leave any housing unoccupied,” he said.
The B.C. government introduced legislation earlier this month to require local governments to update zoning bylaws to permit secondary suites and multi-unit buildings on lots typically used for single-family detached homes.
The changes would also phase out one-off public hearings over rezonings for housing developments that are consistent with official community plans.
“Those torturous moments when you're standing at your city council, making the pitch for housing that people desperately need, and a bunch of people (are) lining up at the mic to explain why you're going to destroy their neighbourhood. Those are going to be a thing of the past,” Eby told the crowd.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 21, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.