Sign Our Petition
Petition to the City of Nanaimo
Whereas:
- Housing unaffordability and homelessness are twin local crises;
- Financialization of housing inflates real estate prices;
- Inflation is exacerbated by the use of the housing market to launder money and evade taxes;
- Corporations, numbered companies and real estate investment trusts (REITs) are controlling the market to maintain high monthly rents; and
- Many government policies designed to increase housing affordability actually transfer tax dollars to the private sector but do not protect existing affordable housing or create new permanent housing that is actually affordable.
We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Nanaimo and region, call upon the City of Nanaimo to:
- Redefine affordable housing using an updated formula that better reflects the economic realities faced by members of our community;
- Work with the Governments of Canada and British Columbia to create regulations to control excess profiteering by corporate investors and REITs;
- Work with the Government of Canada to close tax evasion and money laundering loopholes and press them to regulate foreign investment in residential real estate;
- Require restrictive covenants on affordable housing units built with taxpayer subsidies to ensure that those units remain affordable;
- Create an empty home tax for residential property owners who leave units vacant;
- Continue to adjust planning policies to create affordable housing zoning across the city and continue to lower barriers to development permitting for truly affordable housing; and
- Prioritize support for non-profit and cooperative housing.
Join Us in Making a Difference
Your support can transform lives. Sign up for our upcoming events, volunteer your time, or do something else to help us advocate for affordable housing in our community. Every action counts. Together, we can create lasting change in peoples' lives.
