by Mary P Brooke
Thursday, October 11 ~ LANGFORD.
He’s checked, and to date, no federal National Housing Strategy funds have been spent in Langford, says Alistair MacGregor, MP for Cowichan-Malahat-Langford.
Pausing to speak to media during the WestShore Chamber of Commerce evening mixer at the WorkLink office in the west shore on October 10, McAlistair said after having a detailed meeting with Langford Mayor Stew Young there will be some public consultation up to October 31, and then a report to Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Minister of Infrastructure and Communities hopefully before year-end.
“Housing is a human right,” says MacGregor. He brought that up in a motion in the House of Commons on September 28, asking for more funding for housing this year. The federal Liberal budget has earmarked National Housing Strategy funds to roll out in 2020. But given the general awareness across Canada now that the need for housing is at a crisis point, MacGregor says that expenditure should be moved up fast to 2019.
In his meeting with Langford’s mayor (in followup to a quick chat between the two leaders on October 9), MacGregor will hear details about housing needs on the island’s west shore. Supply and demand for various housing types is likely part of the discussion, as well as how the development community works with municipalities to plan not only housing but other aspects of infrastructure that support a community such as recreation.
Without housing, people can’t put down roots, says MacGregor. “If housing is not secure, it’s difficult for people to hold down employment or start a family,” he told West Shore Voice News. “It’s widely acknowledged that the (current housing) situation is not tenable. By tackling housing and making the necessary investments you can solve a whole host of problems,” MacGregor said, itemizing spin-off problems such as poor health (putting pressure on the health care system), people falling into the criminal system (and the cost of prisons), and dealing with mental health and addictions (which adds to health care, and emergency services costs).
MacGregor held a town hall about housing on October 9 in Langford, and will hold another in the Cowichan area this evening, October 11. This is ‘constituency week’ for MPs, to be in their ridings and connect with their community on issues before heading back to Ottawa. The House of Commons sits until December 14 before their winter break.