National

Feds to speed up housing construction

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 15 Aug, 2023 09:50 AM

Canada's housing minister says working people should be able to afford to live where they work as rental prices grow beyond reach of even high-income professionals.

Sean Fraser says the federal government is looking at a number of ways to work with provinces and municipalities to speed up the construction of housing through subsidies and other incentives and drive prices down.

He says people’s circumstances are varied, but couldn’t point to a number he thinks is reasonable for a one-bedroom apartment as the average in Vancouver was recently reported at around three-thousand dollars.

Mayor @MarianneAlto and I might have a slight height difference… but we’re completely aligned on solving the housing crisis. Had a great chat on how Victoria will leverage the federal Housing Accelerator Fund to build the new homes this program will unlock. pic.twitter.com/U4VBwBL9nv
— Sean Fraser (@SeanFraserMP) August 14, 2023

Fraser says the federal government should have never got out of the housing game in the first place, and building rental housing for people across the income spectrum is a priority as more Canadians struggle to keep a roof over their heads.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

BC Greens push for paid practicums for nursing students

The B-C Greens want the provincial government to create paid practicums for nursing students. Leader Sonia Furstenau says that unlike tradespeople who, justifiably, receive paid apprenticeships and subsidized tools, nurses often come out of school with significant debt.

BC Greens push for paid practicums for nursing students

Canadian diplomat expelled from China in retaliation for similar move by Ottawa

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly said she would speak Tuesday afternoon with Shanghai consul Jennifer Lynn Lalonde. Joly described her in French as "a very respected career diplomat." Earlier Tuesday, Beijing declared it would expel Lalonde in retaliation for Canada's de sending a Chinese envoy packing.

Canadian diplomat expelled from China in retaliation for similar move by Ottawa

Rare May heat wave brings worries for further floods and fires: emergency minister

Ma says the unusual heat also elevates the risks of wildfires burning in B.C. There are more than 50 fires burning in B.C., most of them in the north and central part of the province, and three wildfires have prompted evacuation orders or alerts for nearby residents.

Rare May heat wave brings worries for further floods and fires: emergency minister

High temperatures in B.C. pose 'threat of new wildfires,' wildfire service warns

Evacuation orders or alerts remain in place for much of the areas surrounding the Red Creek and Boundary Lake fires, about 1,300 kilometres northeast of Vancouver. In its latest update, the B.C. Wildfire Service reported the Boundary Lake fire was an estimated 5,900 hectares. The fire at Red Creek sits at 2,800 hectares.

High temperatures in B.C. pose 'threat of new wildfires,' wildfire service warns

Victoria police arrest man for multiple break & enters

Police say they received a call on Monday morning about a break-and-enter at a residential development, and arrested the male suspect after a brief search of the building. Police say the suspect is a newcomer to Victoria and had 44 prior contacts with police this year, in addition to having been arrested a dozen times.

Victoria police arrest man for multiple break & enters

Surrey's Cloverdale Agriplex getting a $1M upgrade

A one-million dollar upgrade is being supplied through the Destination Development Fund, which will go toward making the site of the Cloverdale Rodeo more accessible and versatile.