This week, Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh made a virtual stop in Saskatoon to discuss solutions to help Canadians find homes they can afford.

Singh met with Saskatoon West NDP candidate Jaris Swidrovich and student Junelle Knihniski to talk about an NDP plan for the housing crisis.

Singh says this crisis has been around for a long time, and is getting worse during the pandemic. He adds everywhere he goes he speaks to people who cannot find a place to live, a place to call home, they can’t rent a place and can’t imagine ever owning their own place. He says “it’s not just young professionals, young families or new graduates, it’s also people with low or no income, Indigenous people, vulnerable racialized people, this is a struggle that impacts so many people.”

Singh says the Federal NDP are proposing two approaches. The first is a Federal Foreign Investment tax, to discourage foreign investment he says is driving up the housing market.  The second would see a massive investment in affordable housing, this includes a $14 billion investment over the next 10 years that would see 500,000 affordable homes in Canada.

Singh says Canada needs to respond to this crisis with the urgency it requires, something he says has been lacking with the Liberal Government.  He explains there needs to be a massive investment in things like affordable homes, rentals that are purpose built and affordable, cooperative housing, not for profit housing, subsidized housing and all the forms of housing possible to solve this problem and crisis.  Singh adds tackling the speculation that is driving housing costs is the basis behind a proposed 20 percent Federal Foreign Investment tax.  He believes this will discourage foreign investors from using Canada and it’s housing market, like a stock market.

Saskatoon student Junelle Knihniski says faced with high costs of living, uncertain job prospects and high student loans means renting at the moment, and especially owning a house down the road seems so unattainable and far off. She doesn’t know how she would ever be a homeowner in Canada if nothing ever changes.

NDP Candidate for Saskatoon West Jaris Swidrovich says “Justin Trudeau’s Liberals are standing by while the crisis worsens. If we really want to fight the housing crisis, we need massive actions and investments in the right places to help families in Saskatoon.”