Where should we start in addressing homelessness?

Cynthia Low
Administrative coordinator, Downtown Eastside Women's Centre

"It's kind of complex, but I think for us, the first thing that needs to happen is affordable housing. Shelters are a short-term necessity and, obviously, we need immediate help right now, but I think government also needs to invest in something that is going be available five or 10 years from now. There's a need for investments in housing."

Cameron Muir
Chief economist, British Columbia Real Estate Association

"The real-estate industry has been lobbying the government for some time to try and get a rollover of capital-gains tax. The tax shouldn't apply if owners of rental buildings decide to sell their old building and put up a new one. The tax consequence makes it difficult for owners to build new products because they are heavily taxed on the initial sale."

Wendy Yuan
Federal Liberal candidate for Vancouver Kingsway

"We must put enough funding so we can have more options for the homeless. Affordable housing can be had either with very low rents or with subsidies. Putting money into shelters is only a temporary relief. We should increase the housing stock. This housing problem we have right now has to do with the policies of governments at different levels."

Brent Granby
President, West End Residents Association

"Every level of government needs to have a comprehensive housing policy that builds all kinds of housing for different needs, like co-op housing. We need to change the economic conditions where housing is being built. This goes right to the failure of government. There's a total unwillingness to interfere into the market mechanisms around housing."

Comments

2 Comments

regina de vela

Oct 21, 2007 at 7:39pm

Forgive me if this is not an appropriate comment to post here but I just want to know if Carlito Pablo was formerly a writer for the Phil. Inquirer and, earlier still, connected with EMJP?

John Burns

Oct 21, 2007 at 9:08pm

Hi Regina.

I think it's a totally fine comment to post here, and you'd think from his stories that Carlito's got a justice/journalism background. In fact, you'd be right.

But I don't think those are his particular backgrounds. Please re-email your question to our <a href="mailto:contact@straight.com?subject=attention_carlito_pablo">general email address</a> and Carlito can email you back with a specific answer.

I'm replying here in part because I have a question for you and other users:<br /><strong>Would you find writer bios useful?</strong>

Thanks, John