Dear Editor,
Only homeowners pay a property tax to the municipality, which is budgeted to be spent on public schools, the fire department, the police, the libraries and community centres, etc.
Every citizen pays GST and PST, and most Canadians pay income tax. The federal and provincial governments have a mandate to tackle the housing issues, and they do have the budget for it from the tax they collected from all of us. I find the city is more than cooperative to work with the other levels of government, but I don’t understand why ACORN blames the city.
South of Metrotown has many old, low-storey apartment buildings. I knew they should go one day, one by one, because older buildings need upgrading for the safety of the residents and fulfilling the needs of the city dwellers, say plumbing, electricity, new roof, more soundproof walls, updated kitchen, etc. Do you remember the fire on an old building on Dow Street?
Metro Vancouver must have a big gap between the rich and the poor mainly due to the real estate market. People on the street are visible. My friend from Ottawa said Ottawa had no street people who can survive the winter there outside? People outside the province come to a warmer place. Many new immigrants, including refugees, come disproportionately to B.C.
Housing all these people is a big burden for Metro Vancouver, as much as we want to welcome newcomers. I hope the provincial and the federal governments can work together to provide affordable housing for the people who need it.
Chiyo Buston, Burnaby
