Canada only invests about 4% into social housing

UK invests 17% into social housing

Pierre Polievere is trying to position the Liberals as some kind of Soviet regime. 

The Liberals allowed this to happen, so no they are not housing czars. 

Federally both parties have withdrawn from CO-OP housing. They both made massive cuts to home building. The Conservatives say that the free market will handle it, and the Liberals say that there should be more McKinsey Studies to determine how we got here. 

The truth is, Federally the help isn't coming, despite the messaging from Queens Park this week. Provincally Higgs says there should be less help for housing. 

This is why we need to focus more locally with our municipal government. As with anything that ever makes things better here, it is up to Saint Johners to actually do it. 

We have good people here. Derrick May is the Soapbox Preacher of Waterloo Village. He is actively looking to clean up the community, he has planned an event that is cleaning up the city on April 20th. JTR has donated the bins and our community is getting out to pick up the garbage. 

Brent Harris has his Vacant to Vibrant initiative which is a grassroots movement to buy dilapidated houses and rehab them with grandmother suites in the back. You can contact him to donate. They are up over $16,000 as of this writing. 

The Centre for architecture speaks about public projects led by the government, or public co-op initiatives which are founded on principles to innovate, and improve the lives of the community. In Vienna Austria, the average rent is approximately 15% of the average income. 62% of tenants in Vienna Austria live in public housing. 

Where does Vienna rank on the liveable city score? IT RANKS #1 in the world. 

Where does Saint John rank on the liveable city score? It doesn't even rank in the top 100 in Canada!

A liveable city starts with liveable housing that is affordable well below the 30% mark most economists talk about. 

We can have this. Because it is already happening. 

In Medicine Hat Alberta, they have completely removed all people from being homeless by providing housing for everyone. 

IT CAN HARDLY BE SAID ALBERTA IS A BASTION OF SOCIALISM

And yet, they came together and built housing and created programs to house everyone and build enough affordable housing for all. 

Thank you for being here, we can keep the pressure going by continually getting more signatures. 

You are wonderful,

Andrew