Langley Advance Times runs this weekly feature, call it “At Your Service.”
It’s another forum in which to put questions to our local politicians about key issues facing our community and its residents.
Using a basic question-and-answer format, elected officials will be asked one question at a time and given the opportunity to respond (to a maximum of 250 words) on that said issue.
Alternating between elected groups, Langley City and Langley Township councils, Langley school board, Langley MLAs, and Langley MPs each have a chance to participate.
The answers provided will be published in their entirety online each Sunday.
.
MOST RECENT – AT YOUR SERVICE: More needed to improve transportation in and around Langley – MLAs
.
QUESTION
Both Langley MPs were asked: Should the federal government put more money into low-barrier housing, in light of the persistent and growing problem of homelessness here and across much of the country?
.
ANSWERS
MP John Aldag
A. Low-barrier housing is a necessity to provide shelter to unhoused populations.
The federal government has a role to play in housing when it comes to increasing the housing supply and making housing more affordable, but the provincial government has a greater responsibility when it comes to providing shelters and addressing homelessness in our communities.
Therefore, I would like to see the provincial government offer more support for our vulnerable populations as the federal government continues to invest billions into building more homes.
The federal government has taken significant steps toward making housing more affordable for Canadians.
This year, our government launched a new $4-billion Housing Accelerator Fund, to remove barriers and incentivize housing supply growth. This fund will create at least 100,000 net new homes across Canada.
A third round of the Rapid Housing Initiative is underway, which is providing $1.5 billion to create 4,500 new affordable housing units for Canadians with severe housing needs.
As seen in Budget 2023, our government is also introducing a Tax-Free First Home Savings Account to allow Canadians to save up to $40,000, tax- free, to help buy their first home.
Since taking office, our government has invested to build and repair over 480,000 homes, and we’ve helped over 2.6 million Canadians get the housing they need.
I look forward to seeing more affordable housing units constructed, and I hope to see dedicated investments from the provincial government to address the need for low-barrier housing in our communities.
.
MP Tako van Popta
A. Canada is facing a housing crisis nationwide, and those especially affected are the economically vulnerable.
The housing supply-and-demand balance has been under significant strain for years, but recently this issue has grown exponentially. Just last year, the CMHC reported that the Liberal government will fall short of its 2030 deadline to address the housing crisis by over 2 million units.
Last year also saw a new record for Canada’s population growth, as one million new permanent and temporary residents were welcomed in.
Dan Hiebert, professor emeritus of geography at the University of B.C., has stated that Canada would need to immediately build 1.36 million more housing units just to reach the average homes-to-population ratios of other OECD nations, yet Canada is building fewer than 300,000 new units per year.
Clearly, demand is continuing to spike, and our housing supply is falling further and further behind.
With no mention of population growth trajectories in its 2023 Budget, Chapter 1: Making Life More Affordable and Supporting the Middle Class, the government is clearly not adequately addressing this increasing imbalance between housing supply and demand.
The only solution is for the government to immediately develop long-term strategies for tying housing supply to population growth and getting back to basic economic principles: bringing inflation under control, accelerating approvals, encouraging job training, and generally getting out of the way of industrious Canadians who are up to the challenge of building our nation.
.
UP NEXT
Next week, Langley City council is being asked: Given the Township is exploring the possibility of a bike share project, should the City be looking at a similar idea?
.
Watch for their answers online Sunday.
.
PAST COVERAGE
AT YOUR SERVICE: City council weighs in on supervised consumption sites
AT YOUR SERVICE: Langley trustees applaud positives found amid pandemic
AT YOUR SERVICE: Township council weighs in on lack of industrial land
AT YOUR SERVICE: MLAs see feds as partners in SkyTrain to Langley
AT YOUR SERVICE: Creating more housing, on all fronts, critical to stabilization: MPs
AT YOUR SERVICE: Heat wave another call to action – City council
AT YOUR SERVICE: Pools need to be part of Township-wide recreation planning
AT YOUR SERVICE: No current need for year-round schooling in Langley, trustees agree
AT YOUR SERVICE: MLAs suggest staying the course on battling of B.C. wildfire
AT YOUR SERVICE: MPs call for borders to be safely re-opened
AT YOUR SERVICE: Langley City council wants to keep higher density development north of Nicomekl
AT YOUR SERVICE: Passports key to keeping B.C. businesses open, people safe during pandemic
AT YOUR SERVICE: Trustees ponder what kids are missing out on during pandemic
AT YOUR SERVICE: Education should trump rules for vaccination of health-care workers, suggest MLAs
AT YOUR SERVICE: How to handle rising housing prices
AT YOUR SERVICE: City council divided on call for indoor pool
AT YOUR SERVICE: Council ponders vaccine requirements for workers
AT YOUR SERVICE: Skyrocketing enrolment prompts intensified lobby by trustees
AT YOUR SERVICE: Political stripes aside, MLAs agree heat dome was tragic and action required
AT YOUR SERVICE: MPs agree much must be done to right wrongs for Indigenous
AT YOUR SERVICE: Is pay parking in the City a viable consideration?
AT YOUR SERVICE: Some suggest more needed to protect floodplains from development
AT YOUR SERVICE: Monitoring student transport not good use of school district resources – trustees
AT YOUR SERVICE: Liberal caucus floats all-party committee in reaction to emergencies
AT YOUR SERVICE: Langley MPs address issue of rising food costs
AT YOUR SERVICE: Inflation inevitably hits City taxpayers in the pocketbook
AT YOUR SERVICE: Future of Aldergrove core up for debate
AT YOUR SERVICE: Trees and more greenspace at root of climate change solutions
AT YOUR SERVICE: Inflation inevitably hits City taxpayers in the pocketbook
AT YOUR SERVICE: Councillors differ on future of SkyTrain beyond Langley City
AT YOUR SERVICE: Bigger schools not necessarily solution to rising land costs
AT YOUR SERVICE: High gas prices of concern for MLAs of both stripes
AT YOUR SERVICE: Empty homes can be safety concern, but not huge concern in City
AT YOUR SERVICE: Most of council content with current pothole repairs
AT YOUR SERVICE: Survey gives school district tools for staff recruitment, retention
AT YOUR SERVICE: Liberal MLAs call for overhaul to B.C.’s student funding model
AT YOUR SERVICE: Canada must continue its support of Ukraine, MPs
AT YOUR SERVICE: Best use of industrial land paramount to Langley City councillors
AT YOUR SERVICE: More ALR land needs to be used for farming: Most of council
AT YOUR SERVICE: Local MLAs agree more must be done to make life affordable in B.C.
AT YOUR SERVICE: Federal parties working on multiple fronts to end hate crimes
AT YOUR SERVICE: Langley City ponders cannabis retail policy
AT YOUR SERVICE – Most on council say parks and rec plans address future growth
AT YOUR SERVICE: School district moves forward on reconciliation efforts with Indigenous partners
AT YOUR SERVICE: MLAs agree diking upgrades needed, divided on if enough is being done
AT YOUR SERVICE: Local MPs disagree on whether 2 billion trees can be planted by 2030
AT YOUR SERVICE: In light of SkyTrain coming, Langley City embarks on parking study
AT YOUR SERVICE: Langley Township should consider schools for future cooling centres
AT YOUR SERVICE: Opposition MLAs critical of NDP’s affordable housing record
AT YOUR SERVICE: Federal clean energy efforts lauded by MP
AT YOUR SERVICE: MPs debate how feds chose to halt trucker convoy
AT YOUR SERVICE: New Langley City council look for solutions to rising costs
AT YOUR SERVICE – A few Langley Township council members speak to ongoing single-family home demands
AT YOUR SERVICE: Political views aside, MLAs wish residents health and safety this holiday
AT YOUR SERVICE: MPs agree new year’s resolution must focus on inflation
AT YOUR SERVICE: New floodplain report coming to council this spring
AT YOUR SERVICE – Protected bike lanes on key Township roads is encouraged by council
AT YOUR SERVICE: Trustees divided on question of socializing kids
AT YOUR SERVICE: MLAs agree much to be done to safeguard against climate-related disasters
AT YOUR SERVICE: MPs agree new year’s resolution must focus on inflation
AT YOUR SERVICE: City’s residential garbage pickup remains status quo – at least for now
AT YOUR SERVICE – Protected bike lanes on key Township roads is encouraged by council
AT YOUR SERVICE: Pair of trustees agree parent engagement is critical and can grow
AT YOUR SERVICE: MLAs agree much to be done to safeguard against climate-related disasters
AT YOUR SERVICE – Township councillors have varying ideas for extra millions
AT YOUR SERVICE: School district introduces two new specialty academies
.
story tags