On the heels of the premier using Burnaby as the backdrop to make a major funding announcement, the B.C. NDP’s leader was at SFU Wednesday for election announcement of his own.
Opposition Leader John Horgan announced that the NDP would allow post-secondary institutions to borrow money needed to build new student housing, and pay for the mortgage through the rent they would charge.
He explained since 2003 the Liberal government has prohibited post-secondary institutions from building new housing supply at schools without the approval of the province.
Horgan argued the Liberals have allowed accounting procedures to get in the way of the decisions universities make to build new housing.
Specifically, anytime government reporting entities, like Crown corporations and universities, spend money, it’s counted as global spending and would have an impact on the province’s credit rating.
He noted that the number of post-secondary students has increased by 15 per cent in 13 years, but few new student housing projects have come on board.
“The BC Liberals are allowing accounting policies to get in the way of services for people, that’s the way they roll,” he told the media. “We disagree, we’re going to change that.”
The NDP leader also made the argument that building more student housing would take students out of the red-hot rental market and open up more places for people who are finding it difficult to find rental housing.
The NDP pointed out an estimate from the Alliance of BC Students that suggested 14,000 new units are needed in Metro Vancouver.
Horgan was also quick to point out former premier Gordon Campbell promised to make the change in the 2010 throne speech.
“The Liberals recognize they made a mistake, Gordon Campbell’s Liberals… the B.C. Liberals under Christy Clark have let it languish,” he said.
During the stop at SFU, Horgan was also asked about the demoviction issue in Burnaby and the criticism the NDP has taken from some who have suggested they’ve remained quiet over the situation in the city.
The NDP leader said land use decisions in Burnaby are the city’s responsibility. However, he suggested the Liberals have let down people in low income situations by not building new sources of supply. He noted the premier’s recent $500 million affordable housing announcement, and questioned where the Liberals have been for the last 15 years on the issue.
“We have a crisis in housing here, it’s not the making of the Burnaby council, it’s not the making of the Coquitlam council, it’s the making of the Liberal government,” Horgan said.
