By Mauro Francis

Like so many young Vancouverites, the dream of owning a home is becoming increasingly untenable, and the goal of owning a home in my community of East Van is a total fantasy.

The Liberal government under Justin Trudeau ruined any chance we had to make homeownership or housing security possible.

Justin Trudeau has been prime minister for almost my entire adult life. He promised all sorts of things, but it feels like a lot of those platitudes get lost on his way from campaigns to Ottawa.

In the meantime, Jenny Kwan and the NDP make promises that are not only outrageous but would also make affordability worse. They want to give $5,000 a year to Canadian renters, which is like pouring gasoline on the fire. This will only drive rent up and make life less affordable. Jenny, where have you been as the problems became worse under your watch?

I asked myself, "Why do things have to be this way?" Running for office was never in the cards for me. I was not the school president or anything of the sort. I was an at-risk youth and a graduate of the East Van Boys Club. Now I am honoured to mentor youth struggling with similar issues I faced once upon a time.

I don't necessarily see a politician when I look in the mirror, but I am becoming confused as to what a politician is supposed to look like and how it has played out so far.

The reality is that the housing supply simply isn't keeping up with demand. Governments continues to get in the way of real action: building more housing to catch up with our growing population. We must build one million new homes and address the fact that foreign investment contributes to the affordability crisis in Vancouver. By banning foreign investment for at least two years, this problem could be alleviated and then maybe I have a chance.

If you’re not going to live here, get out of the way for those who need it. Instead, encourage foreign investment in purpose-built rental housing that is affordable to Canadians. Many Canadians are unaware the federal government owns over 37,000 buildings in the country, many of which could be converted into housing!

Vancouver needs these new ideas to make a meaningful change, but it's also essential to recognize that housing is more than an ownership issue in my community.

There are so many who don't even have a home. My entire life has been spent in East Vancouver, and every day I see more and more people lost on our sidewalks. Mental illness isn't something foreign to me. I have seen the effects of self-medication to countless undiagnosed members of our community on Hastings Street.  I've seen what addiction can do to a person, and that suffering has gone on for too long.

These problems get worse over time. It is important to treat addiction like the epidemic that it is and to destigmatize mental illness and give support to those who need it. Arresting those who are suffering is one of our greatest societal sins. Dealers and traffickers should be arrested, not addicts.

For those suffering, it's imperative that we reimplement Housing First, which has been watered down by the current Liberal-NDP government. Additionally, we need to invest $325 million to create 1,000 residential drug treatment beds and build 50 recovery community centres across the nation. Those who suffer from addiction, their families, and those who have recovered will have a place to gather here.

We must also boost health transfers by at least six percent annually and make the single largest investment in Canadian history for mental-health support for Indigenous peoples by providing $1 billion in funding. These commitments will not only secure my future but also provide a life-saving olive branch to those who suffer on our streets.

I want my community to grow stronger, to give more opportunities to young people, and to care for those in need. As citizens of a nation that strives to continually become better, this is our responsibility.

East Vancouver has always been worth fighting for, but Jenny Kwan forgot about us.

This is my home, I will always stand up for what we need to fix.