NDP MP Bonita Zarrillo gets 45 Mary St. listed for affordable housing after months of Liberal delays

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 27, 2024

Following news that the federal government listed 45 Mary St. in Port Moody on a new public lands bank, NDP MP Bonita Zarrillo made this statement:
“I’m glad to see that the federal government is finally moving forward on opening up 45 Mary St., an abandoned Canada Post Office in Port Moody, to be turned into affordable housing. This is coming after months and months of delays on the Liberal’s part and months of advocacy and pressure from New Democrats and local residents.
People in Port Moody needed housing they could truly afford yesterday. Still, it’s taken months for the Liberals to act, and they’re only doing so now because the NDP advocated and applied pressure.
While I am pleased to see progress finally being made, it’s disappointing that it has taken the Liberals this long to listen to people in Port Moody.
Now that 45 Mary St. is listed in the Public Lands Bank, the Liberal government must make sure this land is turned into truly accessible, affordable homes for local residents. They cannot turn it over to rich developers and landlords who take their profits out of the community and have driven up rent across the region.
While the Liberals delay and disappoint, Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives would only add fuel to the fire by turning housing completely over to their rich developer friends and donors. This land shouldn’t be for big corporations to make a profit—it should be for everyday people in Port Moody to have homes.
I will continue to hold this government accountable and ensure that this is not just another empty promise but a real step towards providing the affordable, accessible housing our community desperately needs.”

– 30 –

For more information, please contact:
NDP Media Centre: 613-298-2166 or media@ndp.ca