FCM’S Big City Mayors Caucus (BCMC) supports new housing coalition’s call for more rental housing (09/11/2011)

Federation of Canadian Municipalities' (FCM) Big City Mayor's Caucus (BCMC) Chair and Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson welcomed today the Canadian Rental Housing Coalition's call for more rental housing in Canada.

"Vancouver, like cities across the country, is struggling with housing affordability," said Mayor Gregor Robertson. "Boosting rental housing construction will help create jobs, and make the housing market more affordable for Canadians."

The cost of homeownership in Canada has almost doubled in the last 10 years while household incomes have risen only 13% over the same period. About one-third of Canadian households are renters, living in over 3.9 million rental units across the country. But rental shortages make it difficult for moderate-income earners to find adequate housing while many cities aren't able to house the workers and newcomers they need to grow their economy.

"The need for more affordable rental housing in cities across Canada requires innovative partnerships between all three levels of government," said Mayor Robertson. "Fiscal constraints faced by municipalities mean that we urgently need to develop solutions to meet the current demand for more rental housing."

Encouraging investment in new rental construction and repairs to affordable units will create jobs in residential construction as stimulus funding ends and public infrastructure construction slows down; and help fix a housing system that's pricing new Canadians, young workers, low-income seniors and single-parent families out of growing urban economic regions that need workers and offer job opportunities.