Housing Matters: What to Know for the Upcoming Federal Election
Housing Matters: What to Know for the Upcoming Federal Election
The past two years have certainly shed a light on where governments can best serve and we hope you’re encouraged to engage on the issues and vote, vote, vote!
Without a doubt, the pandemic illuminated for us all the importance of home for everyone. Home to keep us safe, keep us healthy, and keep us moving forward against the odds.
We hope you’ll take some time to get informed on this issue and the others that matter to you, and cast your vote on September 20th for the candidate and party you feel best reflects your values.
And to help with that evaluation, we are sharing a few key messages on housing to consider, along with resources to help you understand and evaluate the key party platforms on these issues, and ultimately cast your vote.
Here’s why we at NHA think housing is ALWAYS a primary election consideration, and why we think all people in Canada deserve a safe, appropriate home:
- Preventing people and families from falling into homelessness eliminates the trauma associated with that experience and prevents ongoing inter-generational trauma from further harming children and youth.
- We are a country of significant wealth and hold value in all Canadians being equal participants in community therefore it is an unacceptable circumstance that children and youth are subject to experiences of homelessness.
- It is more fiscally responsible to treat the root causes of homelessness than it is to manage homelessness.
- The annual cost of for persons struggling with homelessness and mental illness has been estimated at $50K per person and for some highest users of the system as much as $340K.
- Contrast these numbers with the cost of housing first with supports ranging from $14K-22K. It costs NHA about $5000 annually to provide subsidized housing.
All people, regardless of income, should have the choice to live well in community.
Check out these helpful links compiled by the CBC:
- Vote Compass: See how your views compare to those of the major parties on the issues that matter to you. https://votecompass.cbc.ca/canada
- Poll Tracker: See the latest on how the parties and leaders are polling. https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/elections/poll-tracker/canada/
- Canada Votes daily newsletter: Get a daily email update on the latest election news and context from our Politics team. https://www.cbc.ca/politicsnewsletter
- Platform ComparisonCompare and contrast the platforms of the main parties. https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/elections/federal/2021/party-platforms/
You can also read through each party’s platform in its’ entirety on their party sites.
The Conservative Party Platform
The New Democratic Party Platform
The Bloc Quebecois Party Platform
To determine voter eligibility and where to vote, head to www.elections.ca and pop your postal code in the box on the left. They’ll tell you everything you need to know for both before and on voting day!
Regardless of how you vote, we hope this arms you with the resources to make the best decision for yourself and your community. Get out there, ask questions of our elected officials, and vote!
