The Discourse asked readers what issues are important to them in the provincial election ending on Oct. 19 and affordability ranked fourth with 61 per cent of respondents in Nanaimo identifying it as a priority.
What the parties are saying about housing
The Conservative Party of BC’s platform promises an income tax rebate of $1,500 per month starting in 2026 for rent, mortgage interest and strata fees, which will increase by $500 a year until it reaches $3,000 in 2029.
The party also promises to speed up permitting for housing construction by setting six-month time limits for rezoning and development permits and three-month limits for building permits by municipalities or they will be issued by the province. It also promises to “work with cities” to align zoning changes with other land use policies and bring in legislation that allows engineers and architects to “peer review” their work.
The party will also remove the Zero Carbon Step Code that it says increases construction costs, amend Bill 47 (Transit Oriented Areas) that increases housing density near transit hubs, amend the Local Government Act to reduce “red tape”, establish a BC Development Tribunal and allow Development Cost Charges (DCC) to be paid after a project is completed and cap DCC rates.
The BC Greens platform promises to implement vacancy control, which would regulate how much landlords can increase the rent for vacant rental properties between tenants. It also promises to increase funding to $164 million a year for the Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters and Rental Assistance Program and index it to inflation.
The party promises to spend $1.5 billion a year to build 26,000 new units of non-market rental housing, increase funding for the Rental Protection Fund by $500 million to safeguard existing affordable housing and spend $100 million for maintenance of non-profit and co-op housing.
It also promises to provide $650 million for municipal infrastructure, extend the Speculation and Vacancy Tax to all interested communities, merge the Home Owner Grant and the Renters Tax Credit and recognize housing as a “fundamental human right” in the province.
To help pay for this, the Greens would create a two per cent tax and double provincial property taxes for homes valued over $3 million.
The BC NDP platform promises to expand the BC Builds program to include rentals and “affordable home ownership.” It promises to “fast track” factory home construction, partner with developers to build housing on public land, waive provincial property taxes for new purpose-built rental projects, create a new local infrastructure investment fund for municipalities that is tied to new housing starts; allow co-op, non-profit and public rental housing projects to be built higher and double the construction apprenticeships.
Editor’s note Oct. 19, 2024: This story has been updated with an answer from Conservative candidate Dale Parker (Nanaimo-Gabriola Island) for the final question, which was omitted in error. Other questions from Parker and Gwen O’Mahony (Conservative, Nanaimo-Lantzville) were added on Oct. 17 as were answers for all Nanaimo-Lantzville candidates for the final question, we regret the errors. Some of the answers for the NDP candidates are nearly identical, that is how they were submitted and is not an error. All answers have been lightly edited for style and length for fairness, as candidates were given 100-word limits for their responses.
Q. How, specifically, do you propose to make housing (both ownership and rental) more affordable?
Nanaimo-Gabriola Island candidate’s answers
Shirley Lambrecht, BC Green Party, Nanaimo-Gabriola Island
BC Greens have costed and pledged to build 26,000 accessible non-market, below-market, social and co-op housing units throughout the province each year. We will work with the City of Nanaimo and smaller Island communities to build on public land to reduce costs and develop novel financing models to ensure accessibility to new home buyers. We will update provincial building codes to accommodate new housing options such as modular, smaller permanent build and tiny homes. We will seek to repeal draconian Bill 44 legislation as the City of Nanaimo and Regional District are handily addressing densification and alternative building.
Sheila Malcolmson, BC NDP, Nanaimo-Gabriola Island
Everyone should be able to afford a home and build a good life here.
The BC NDP will create 300,000 additional middle-class homes, fast-track the growth of factory-built home construction by cutting red tape and streamlining regulations [and] open the door to homeownership by covering 40 per cent of the purchase price on tens of thousands of new homes.
To provide secure homes for renters, we are encouraging people to rent their suites with subsidized insurance covering unexpected problems like damage and unpaid rent. We’re also protecting rental stock by replenishing the Rental Protection Fund. And supporting more non-market and co-op housing through securing land for this purpose.
Dale Parker, Conservative Party of BC, Nanaimo-Gabriola Island
Our Get BC Building plan promises to end the housing shortage, streamline approval processes, and deliver BC’s largest housing tax cut. We will cut the red tape, streamline approvals, and get BC building again. The Rustad Rebate will give people immediate financial relief and help them stay in the homes they love.
Nanaimo-Lantzville candidate’s answers
George Anderson, BC NDP, Nanaimo-Lantzville
The cost of housing has become unattainable for many people, so we created our Housing Action Plan to build 300,000 middle-class homes, capped rent increases and are preserving existing rental stock through the Rental Protection Fund. We’re cutting through the red tape to fast-track factory home construction and investing in trades training to build more homes, faster. Rustad has said he will cancel the 300,000 affordable homes we plan to build so he can go back to supporting the speculators instead. His plan will intensify housing challenges, not fix them. We have a different strategy, and it’s already starting to make an impact.
Gwen O’Mahony, Conservative Party of BC, Nanaimo-Lantzville
The Rustad Rebate directly responds to the high cost of housing, offering renters and mortgage the largest tax rebate in the history of the province, up to $3,000.
Lia Versaevel, BC Greens, Nanaimo-Lantzville
We must stop allowing investors to buy up housing stock for shareholders to profit.
Q. What do you plan to do to help seniors on fixed pensions and benefits afford housing?
Nanaimo-Gabriola Island candidate’s answers
Shirley Lambrecht, BC Green Party, Nanaimo-Gabriola Island
We will lobby for indexing pensions and supplement pension benefits to achieve a guaranteed livable income to provide seniors with the necessary income to access housing and continue to live with dignity. We will evolve services to support aging in place as we know it contributes to long-term quality of life. We will invest in building and staffing public long-term care and housing facilities to provide accommodation for those no longer able to reside independently and requiring health care which cannot be delivered through home care visits. We will establish best practices for optimal health, well being and care including staff to resident ratios.
Sheila Malcolmson, BC NDP, Nanaimo-Gabriola Island
We all want seniors to have homes they can afford — we’re building these homes, including allowing secondary suites, duplexes and triplexes so more units can be created on a lot, giving more options for seniors to age in their home, with their kids and grandkids right next door. We will also help more seniors with rent by qualifying more people for SAFER (Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters) and increasing the support available for individual renters.
Dale Parker, Conservative Party of BC, Nanaimo-Gabriola Island
[We] will boost tax credits for family caregivers, increase funding for home support services, eliminate daily user fees and expand access to home care as a preferred alternative to long-term care. [This] will improve quality of life and save up to $45,000 per senior annually in care costs. The Rustad rebate will exempt renters and homeowners up to $3,000 monthly from their rent or mortgage interest costs from provincial income taxes. The program is set to start with a $1,500 per month exemption in 2026 and gradually increase to the total amount.
Nanaimo-Lantzville candidate’s answers
George Anderson, BC NDP, Nanaimo-Lantzville
Seniors deserve to be able to stay in the communities they love in housing they can afford. In the past seven years, we have built over 500 units of seniors’ housing in Nanaimo. These homes allow our seniors to age-in-place with dignity, in homes they feel safe in. The BC NDP’s Rental Protection Fund is also ensuring that we are protecting rental homes. Here in the mid-Island, 50 housing units were protected this July, so the seniors living there can continue to rent at 45 per cent below market rate. Most seniors will benefit our new tax-cut, providing $1,000 a year for 90 per cent of British Columbians.
Gwen O’Mahony, Conservative Party of BC, Nanaimo-Lantzville
See above. Also, doubling food production in the province will reduce financial strains on seniors.
Lia Versaevel, BC Greens, Nanaimo-Lantzville
Thirty-year mortgages need to become the norm for seniors, so that extended amortization periods can bring down monthly payments. Home and tenant insurance rates must be regulated so that people are not gouged in these payments. Property tax deferrals must be extended to people with less equity at an earlier age.
Q. Will your government build more public, not-for-profit and co-op housing?
Nanaimo-Gabriola Island candidate’s answers
Shirley Lambrecht, BC Green Party, Nanaimo-Gabriola Island
Yes, as previously mentioned, we have costed and pledged to build 26,000 accessible non-market, below-market, social and co-op housing units throughout the province each year.
Sheila Malcolmson, BC NDP, Nanaimo-Gabriola Island
People deserve homes they can afford. We’ll never sell public land that is suitable for attainable housing to be built on. Instead, we’ll partner with the non-profit and private sector to build attainable middle-income housing.
Dale Parker, Conservative Party of BC, Nanaimo-Gabriola Island
Yes. We will also provide professional training to non-profits receiving government funds for housing projects to ensure cost-effective and timely construction.
Nanaimo-Lantzville candidate’s answers
George Anderson, BC NDP, Nanaimo-Lantzville
David Eby is prioritizing housing in a way that no other government has ever done. We are developing as many different types of housing options as possible to create more affordable housing faster. We are partnering with the non-profit and private sectors to build attainable middle-income housing in communities across the province, as well as providing more land for non-market and co-op housing to be built. We will again work with our community partners to help take care of these homes and ensure everyone can find the type of housing that is right for them in their community.
Gwen O’Mahony, Conservative Party of BC, Nanaimo-Lantzville
Half the problem with the slow pace of producing affordable housing is the glacial pace of permitting. The CPBC will cut red tape, reducing the time required for new housing starts from years to months. A Conservative government will build more housing of all kinds with the reduction of red tape and a minister dedicated to reducing red tape, especially in the realm of housing starts.
Lia Versaevel, BC Greens, Nanaimo-Lantzville
Yes, all three, but particularly public housing in the very short term.
