Action Needed on Housing Strategy

OTTAWA -- The Green Party of Canada is calling on all MPs to vote for Bill C-304, particularly the Conservatives and Bloc who have not yet supported this Act to ensure secure, adequate, accessible and affordable housing for Canadians.

“MPs need to drop their partisan games and all vote in favour of Bill C-304,” said Deputy Green Leader Adriane Carr. “The housing crisis began when the federal government pulled out of social housing, transferring administration of social-housing programs to provinces and territories.  We now know that this was a big mistake. We need a National Housing Strategy and direct federal government involvement to ensure Canadians can meet the basic need of decent shelter.”

Canada is the only G8 nation without a federal housing strategy. There are now 250,000 homeless in Canada. “We are spending billions of dollars on international meetings, jails and fighter planes while Canadians are still having to worry about where they will sleep at night.  Somehow, our priorities have gone askew,” said Green Leader Elizabeth May.

“It is now well-documented that Canada has a housing crisis,” said Rebecca Harrison, Green Party Critic on Poverty Elimination. “The Senate report In From the Margins: A Call to Action on Poverty, Housing and Homelessness sets out a path of action that all levels of government should be initiating immediately.  The authors of this report also realize that investing in individual Canadians will bring great economic benefits to our country.  We know what we should be doing. Voting for Bill C-304 will move us into action.”

The Green Party would work to ensure cooperation at all levels of government for secure, adequate, accessible, and affordable housing for all Canadians.

Green Party MPs would also:

• 
  Remove taxes from the lowest income categories so that no taxes are paid by those below the poverty line (Canada’s Low Income Cut-off measure).
• 
  Allow income assistance recipients to keep 100% of the wages they earn up to the Low Income Cut-off level to encourage people to get back into the job market.
• 
  Offer people the mobility they need to find work, shelter and other necessities through free transit passes for those on income assistance.

-30-

Contact Information:
Debra Eindiguer
Press Secretary
media@greenparty.ca
c: 613.240.8921
www.greenparty.ca