SOUND OFF: NDP’s lack of action fails renters across British Columbia
DESPITE DAVID EBY AND THE NDP’s many promises over the years to protect renters and provide them with some financial relief, those promises represent yet another example of ‘all talk and no action’ as things have only gotten worse on their watch.
This week, we heard that the average price to rent a one-bedroom apartment in Vancouver has surpassed $3,000 a month. I can only imagine the fear for renters who can’t afford anywhere near that, who are uncertain about what on earth they would do if they suddenly had to move. Where would they go? Rents are also soaring in neighbouring communities throughout the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley.
Some may seriously consider moving even further away to a smaller community in B.C., but rental costs have been rising steadily in those communities as well. According to Zumper.com, the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment here in Kamloops is $1,750 a month, up 9 per cent — or $148 — from last year. For those pondering whether home ownership could be in their future, the average house in Kamloops now retails for $600,000, according to the Association of Interior Realtors. That dream of owning their own home is getting further and further out of reach for many people.
Since 2017, renters in British Columbia have heard a lot of promises about how their lives will be made better by the NDP, but let’s run down the government’s list of failures on the housing file.


