By Jill Sperling

NDP candidate seeks solution to affordable housing crisis

Oct 6, 2016 | 3:16 PM

KAMLOOPS — Kamloops-North Thompson NDP candidate Barb Nederpel participated in a round table forum Thursday, Oct. 6, to discuss a lack of affordable housing in the community.

The conversation was attended by people who know first hand how hard it can be to afford rent or mortgage payments. Nederpel says it is a diverse group of people who are struggling, from seniors and the disabled, to those on income assistance or students.

“Affordable housing, just the lack of affordable housing, is a huge issue in the Kamloops North Thompson,” Nederpel said, “but even more than that it’s not just a housing issue, it’s appropriate housing for people with disabilities, or the hard to house. What’s also a huge issue is just the affordability, that people just aren’t able to make the wages in order to make ends meet.” 

Opposition Spokesperson for Economic Development, Shane Simpson joined the housing discussion. He said the affordable housing crisis needs to be attacked with a well-thought out housing plan, and there should be greater support for the Residential Tenancy Branch.

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“When you have a low or almost non-existent tenancy rate, and you have pressures for landlords to increase their rents because it’s possible to do that, then tenants, and particularly vulnerable tenants become the most exploited, and we need to address that,” Simpson said. “But the government cut the Residential Tenancy Branch and gutted those services. We need to restore that so current renters have a greater amount of protection.”