Media release: Communist Party Calls For Federal Housing Program

Housing is a basic human right, but remains in state of crisis across Canada

Communist Party leader Miguel Figueroa has unveiled the CPC’s housing platform, including the call for an immediate and massive campaign to build thousands of publicly-owned social, cooperative and non-profit housing units, and to repair and upgrade existing stock.

“Right across the country, housing is in a state of crisis,” said Figueroa. “Despite the reality that millions of people are in desperate need of housing, this has not been a key election issue during the past 20 years. Shamefully, Canada sits alone among developed countries, as the only one that does not have a federal housing strategy. Successive Canadian governments have left housing to the private sector, placing developers’ profit interests ahead of this basic human right.”

The Communist Party housing platform includes emergency and long term action:

* An immediate and massive campaign to build thousands of publicly-owned social, cooperative and non-profit housing units, and to repair and upgrade existing stock. Such a campaign would provide desperately needed housing and create thousands of jobs – for every unit of housing built, 6 spin-off jobs are created.

* A Federal Housing Strategy, which would include the establishment of federal-provincial-municipal land banks and real rent controls.

* A ban on evictions, mortgage foreclosures and utility cut-offs due to non-payment that is related to unemployment (including strikes and lockouts).

* Tenant control over housing, through meaningful tenant representation at elected housing boards.

The complete Communist Party election platform, including the housing platform, is available at www.votecommunist.ca.

Miguel Figueroa is campaigning in Winnipeg today, with local candidates Darrell Rankin (Winnipeg Centre) and Frank Komarniski (Winnipeg North). To arrange interviews, contact Darrell Rankin at 204-586-7824 or 204-792-3371, or contact the CPC central campaign at 416-469-2446.

The Communist Party of Canada is the second oldest political party in Canada, with a long and proud history in the forefront of working class and progressive struggles for peace, jobs, democracy, sovereignty, and internationalism. In 2003, the CPC won a historic victory for democracy in Canada, by successfully challenging draconian changes to the Elections Act that required parties to field 50 candidates in elections or face deregistration and seizure of assets.

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