As rent hits record highs, Canada’s NDP is urging the prime minister to help lower rents

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 18, 2023

COQUITLAM – On Monday, after reports that a two-bedroom apartment in Coquitlam has risen this year, hitting $2,950 a month, a six per cent increase since last year, Canada’s NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh urged Prime Minister Trudeau once again to take action to bring down the price of rent.

Local NDP MP Bonita Zarrillo (Port Moody—Coquitlam) says seniors, people living with a disability and families are in desperate need of homes they can afford.

“People in Port Moody—Coquitlam are increasingly worried about affording their rent. Looking for an apartment now that fits your budget is more stressful than ever,” said Zarrillo. “It shouldn’t be this way. The prime minister promised to fix the rent crisis, but nothing has been done. In fact, it is getting worse, and people are finding themselves displaced because they can’t afford an apartment in their own community.”

The report from rentals.ca also shows that renovictions are on the rise. The practice of corporate landlords buying up affordable buildings and then doubling the rent or renovating units into high-end apartments is forcing people out of their homes and the neighbourhoods they love. The NDP has put forward a plan to stop this by placing a moratorium on renovictions and a plan to bring down rents by creating an affordable acquisition fund. This will allow non-profit housing providers to buy affordable housing units when they come on the market.

“People in our community deserve a federal government that will fight for them and not stand by idle while rents become increasingly unaffordable,” said Zarrillo. “It doesn’t make sense that hardworking people can’t afford a home in their own community. The Liberals have everything they need to resolve this crisis—what are they waiting for? New Democrats will continue to protect people from being priced out of their homes. We’ll keep pushing to make it easier to afford your rent.”

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