One provincial politician鈥檚 remarks putting the blame of lack of affordable housing on municipalities has Lake Country council insisting otherwise.
B.C.鈥檚 Attorney General and Minister Responsible for Housing David Eby said that more rental housing is urgently needed in every part of the province. He said he has 鈥榣ittle time鈥� for arguments against new rental projects being developed and that the housing crisis required rapid action at the municipal level.
READ MORE: B.C. ministers tout $633M to address homelessness day after data shows thousands unhoused
鈥淓verything has whole-heartedly been endorsed by council and not had any roadblocks,鈥� Coun. Blair Ireland said. 鈥淓verything that we鈥檝e had brought forward for us required senior governments help to get those projects done and senior governments failed us.鈥�
Ireland and Lake Country council are sending a letter to Eby requesting a meeting to discuss these recent comments.
鈥淭he new minister of housing has been critical of local governments and their approval of projects coming forward, especially for housing, especially for affordable housing,鈥� Ireland said.
But he points to recent news out of New Brunswick that developers are renovicting people and using financing from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
鈥淵et they would not approve a building in our community that was creating affordable housing, creating housing that was under market for people at risk, women in particular,鈥� Ireland said.
Mayor James Baker said efforts to build affordable housing will not stop at Eby鈥檚 comments.
鈥淲e鈥檝e tried and we鈥檒l continue to try,鈥� Baker said.
READ MORE: 30 people filming Winfield Bakery fire, only 1 call to 9-1-1
@LC_Calendar
newsroom@lakecountrynews.net
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
