In British Columbia, provincial elections are held every four years. Your vote is an opportunity to tell the province that affordable and non-profit housing matters to you. In preparation for the upcoming provincial election on Tuesday, May 12th, BCNPHA has put together this toolkit to help you put affordable and non-profit housing on the provincial agenda. It contains:

1)     Housing fact sheets (PDF);
2)     A list of questions you can ask your local candidates (PDF);
3)     A letter you can give to your tenants, encouraging them to vote (MS Word); and
4)     Party leader contact information.

Watch your mailbox in the coming weeks for your Where to Vote information card, and check out www.elections.bc.ca for information on candidates, political parties, and electoral districts. In the meantime, when a candidate comes to your door - tell them affordable and non-profit housing matters to you! Ask them what they will do to make affordable housing a priority in your community.

How you can help? Here are some things you can do to help bring affordable housing to the forefront of the provincial agenda:

• Write, e-mail, or call your local candidates to tell them why affordable and non-
  profit housing is important to you.
• Attend all-candidates’ meetings in your riding and ask questions.
• Question candidates on their views on affordable and non-profit housing at
  public forums or through the media.
• Make sure your tenants know how to vote. Give your tenants information on
  the importance of housing in your community, so that they too can ask
  questions of the candidates.
• Display non-partisan posters in your building encouraging people to vote.
• And don’t forget to vote for candidates who support the development and
  retention of affordable and non-profit housing in your community!

BC Non-Profit Housing Association
303 - 3680 E. Hastings St.
Vancouver, BC  V5K 2A9
P: 604-291-2600 F: 604-291-2636
Toll Free in BC: 1-800-494-8859
www.bcnpha.ca

Across B.C., general elections are held every three years for mayors, councillors, regional district directors, and school board trustees. There are many simple things your municipality can do to support the development and preservation of affordable and non-profit housing in your community. In preparation for the upcoming municipal elections on Saturday, November 15th, BCNPHA has put together this toolkit to help you put affordable and non-profit housing on the local agenda. It contains:

1) Housing fact sheets
Housing fact sheets (MS Word document)

2) A list of questions you can ask your local candidates
A list of questions you can ask your local candidates (MS Word document)

A National Emergency

In 2006, the United Nations declared housing and homelessness in Canada a national emergency. Four million Canadians live in housing that is overcrowded, unhealthy, or unaffordable. These struggling households live in what the federal government calls ‘core need’, and must regularly choose between buying food and paying for shelter. The critical undersupply of affordable housing is a major contributor to the homelessness crisis, and must be addressed as part of a national commitment to end homelessness.

What do we mean by Affordable Housing?

The national definition used by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation for ‘affordable housing’ is shelter (including rent or mortgage, property taxes and utilities) for which you pay no more than 30% of your gross income. The number of renters compared to homeowners is increasing throughout the province. However, rising land, materials and construction costs mean that the private sector has virtually stopped building affordable rental apartments. Canada’s rental vacancy rate has been below 3% for the past eight years, and since 2001, nearly half of all the country’s renters have spent 30% or more of their income on rent (Statistics Canada, 2008).

Why do we need more Affordable Housing?

Affordable housing is a lasting investment that benefits the whole community. Non-profit housing societies offer a valuable service to communities by providing options to those unable to access or afford housing on the private market. Enabling local non-profits to build housing creates a permanent stock of high quality, affordable housing where it is most needed. There is a proven link between health and housing, and by providing safe, stable places to live, non-profits also improve the health of the people they serve.

Why is Affordable Housing important to your community?

•     People who live in affordable housing remain healthier, resulting in cost savings in health and social support services.

•     Affordable housing helps create disposable income, which enables families to better participate in community life.

•     Affordable housing helps seniors and people with disabilities maintain their independence.

Source: BC Non-Profit Housing Association

Throughout the past decade, the number of Canadian households experiencing difficulty finding secure, affordable housing has increased dramatically. Disposable incomes for low-income earners have stagnated, while rent levels have increased much faster than general inflation, leaving people with less income to cover rising shelter costs. Read the rest of this entry »