Decreasing the cost of living and increase minimum wage.

Decreasing the cost of living and increase minimum wage.

Decreasing the cost of living MUST be the NDP's primary economic push if they want any hope of being taken seriously.

FIRST decrease the cost of living inflated by speculation.

Decreasing the cost of property inflated speculation will also allow farmers to pay for their land from its productivity rather than just holding by re-mortgaging, and waiting for a land speculator to buy them out.

Increasing minimum wage does help people in retail service industry which is 11% of the population. The bigger problem is 20% of the work force is over 55 near retirement. And 50 to 70 makes almost 30% of the population.

As you can clearly see decreasing the cost of living is the only solution. Increasing minimum wage helps, but it only helps a few and does not help those in most critical need. Increased minimum wage does not help the intern or homeless/jobless person looking to gain job experience. Both of these are examples where working below minimum wage can open opportunities for a much better life.

https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/as-sa/99-012-x/99-012-x2011002-eng.cfm
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/labor21a-eng.htm

The increased housing cost is forcing people further from jobs and services. This increased cost is about $5 / hr. The effect is about the same as increasing the minimum wage from $10 / hr to $15 / hr and would attract business rather than driving it away.


THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO REMOVE SPECULATION DRIVING UP PRICES!!!!

Sadly the Canadian Economy has grown dependent on inflating home prices driven by property speculation. And it is a DEPT SINK HOLE sucking money out of the economy away from productive investments that create jobs through providing products and services.
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At the provincial level subdivided home lots are too small for redevelopment into mid / high rise buildings and provide no opportunity for community parks to replace peoples back yards.

City / suburb blocks owned by the home / property owners will eliminate the need for speculators inflating home prices to gather connected property required for redevelopment. This should be extended further such that city / suburb block owners RETAINS some MONEY from sales which it can use for improvement. The cultural effect of using joint money to improve the community will lead the home / property owners into realizing that they can benefit from being share holders of city block redevelopment.

A land value tax has been suggested to encourage redevelopment, by making empty houses an expensive tax liabilities. But that is NOT the problem. The problem is neighbourhoods blocking redevelopment that they see no benefit from. This is why I have provided the above solution.

http://www.straight.com/news/725366/opposition-leader-john-horgan-says-bc-ndp-government-will-raise-minimum-wage-15-hour

City excuses for lack of Planning and why they are WRONG

My response to Andrea Reimer, who I respect.

This is not met to be an attack, but educational through mutual sharing.

Andrea Reimer: Thanks for the thoughtful reflections. On the rezoning issue, neighbourhoods routinely choose the site specific rezoning policy model precisely because it allows for community benefits. In the absence of that the only redevelopment possible is through a blanket rezoning which only creates value for the private land owners, not the public. The other alternative is no new supply, but as we've seen in some west side areas that is a very fast route to extremely high housing prices

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We were just forced out of our rental home by redevelopment with few good rentals available we made the choice to become first time home buyers at practically the worst time in this speculation inflated market.

People need to be able to buy a home without taking huge financial risks joining the speculative home / property market.

A major part of the solution is all levels of government is requiring a significant number of coop shared ownership developments. Given that 30% of Vancouver are renters, about 20% of new developments should be coop shared ownership.

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But back to the issues of rezoning. We fought the tear down of our rental unit because we are loosing lower price rental units and coops are not being built. We just want a place to live we do NOT want to be property speculators.

There is a few reasons why this adhock individual redevelopment does not work. First there is NO code for building separation, green space or community services. A few years back I took my professional exams. One of the questions I will never forget was providing water services for a community. The correct answer was measure the community demographics, residential, services, industrial and this is how much water needs to be provided. It didn't mater that community was a northern community accustom to less water services. It was full coverage, reduced coverage or restricted coverage.

You see redevelopment has the same challenges, when it comes to building separation, transportation and social services.

As an other personal example downtown Vancouver has building separation comparable to the higher density areas of Hong Kong. But instead of classifying building density across Vancouver as ultra high density, high density and medium, low density and defining what that is in practical terms of building separation, street level green space and building complex green space. Each development is consider in isolation!!! As example in isolation Central Presbyterian redevelopment was restricted to 22 floors. But when Saint Paul's Hospital Vancouver is redeveloped you and I both know there will NOT be a 22 floor restriction.

So why did the 22 floor restriction exist in the first place. In my opinion because the city does NOT understand what ultra high density, high density and medium, low density means in real terms of building separation, green space, transportation and services.

And if an area is going to be redeveloped at higher density it MUST provide for the requirements of the higher density. If it does NOT the development is a drain on the community.

You are correct changing city redevelopment regulations alone is NOT enough. But the city and its people needs to define ultra high density, high density and medium, low density means in real terms. And publish these so that everyone KNOWS what it means to stay in one density level or transition to another.

The current adhock approach is NOT planning and of course every community you try to do this to should jump up and down to stop it. And there is multiple parts to the solution. I see 3 major ones.

I tried to stop redevelopment of our rental, because of the complete lack of non-speculative housing. Land owners in Vancouver are speculators, both individual and land holding companies. We have NO choice. And you know that I am very pro-development.

"blanket rezoning which only creates value for the private land owners". With the current state, I agree it only creates value for land speculators, but it should NOT be.

This is a problem that feeds back on itself.

Sadly the Canadian Economy has grown dependent on inflating home prices driven by property speculation.

Sadly the Canadian Economy has grown dependent on inflating home prices driven by property speculation. And it is a DEPT SINK HOLE sucking money out of the economy away from productive investments that create jobs through providing products and services.

Increasing home cost are increasing the cost of living and the cost of working. Creating inflation while reducing consumers disposable income available to stimulate the economy. The increased cost of living is forcing people further from jobs and services. This increased cost is about $5 / hr. The effect is about the same as increasing the minimum wage from $10 / hr to $15 / hr and would attract business rather than driving it away.
"affordability crisis in Toronto and Vancouver is a “drag” on the national economy."

-- Provide redevelopment supply and enable people to buy a home without speculating in the home / property market.

1) At the City level remove individually approve redevelopments creating cronyism and replace it city wide redevelopment regulations.

2) At the provincial level subdivided home lots are too small for redevelopment into mid / high rise buildings and provide no opportunity for community parks to replace peoples back yards.

City / suburb blocks owned by the home / property owners will eliminate the need for speculators inflating home prices to gather connected property required for redevelopment. This should be extended further such that city / suburb block COMMUNITY RETAINS some MONEY from sales which it can use for improvement. The cultural effect of using joint money to improve the community will lead the home / property owners into realizing that they can benefit from being share holders of city block redevelopment.

A land value tax has been suggested to encourage redevelopment, by making empty houses an expensive tax liabilities. But that is NOT the problem. The problem is neighbourhoods blocking redevelopment that they see no benefit from. This is why I have provided the above solution.

3) At the all levels of government require a significant number of coop shared ownership developments. These will enable people to buy a home without speculating in the home / property market.

This required speculation in the home / property market is the reason why collapsing home / property prices will collapse the entire economy.

Removing the forces driving speculation will enable holding prices; and property speculation will no longer be the most profitable investment and no longer suck money out of the economy.

We are in a very dangerous place, where the solution must be chosen careful not to cause an economic crisis initiated by house prices collapse.
http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/vancouver-housing-market-source-of-worry-says-bank-of-canada http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/statistics-canada-debt-income-financial-1.3634166

Sadly the Canadian Economy has grown dependent on inflating home prices driven by property speculation.

Sadly the Canadian Economy has grown dependent on inflating home prices driven by property speculation. And it is a DEPT SINK HOLE sucking money out of the economy away from productive investments that create jobs through providing products and services.

Increasing home cost are increasing the cost of living and the cost of working. Creating inflation while reducing consumers disposable income available to stimulate the economy. The increased cost of living is forcing people further from jobs and services. This increased cost is about $5 / hr. The effect is about the same as increasing the minimum wage from $10 / hr to $15 / hr and would attract business rather than driving it away.

"affordability crisis in Toronto and Vancouver is a “drag” on the national economy."

-- Provide redevelopment supply and enable people to buy a home without speculating in the home / property market.

-- Remove the forces driving speculation;

1) At the City level remove individually approve redevelopments creating cronyism and replace it city wide redevelopment regulations.

2) At the provincial level subdivided home lots are too small for redevelopment into mid / high rise buildings and provide no opportunity for community parks to replace peoples back yards.

City / suburb blocks owned by the home / property owners will eliminate the need for speculators inflating home prices to gather connected property required for redevelopment. This should be extended further such that city / suburb block COMMUNITY RETAINS some MONEY from sales which it can use for improvement. The cultural effect of using joint money to improve the community will lead the home / property owners into realizing that they can benefit from being share holders of city block redevelopment.

A land value tax has been suggested to encourage redevelopment, by making empty houses an expensive tax liabilities. But that is NOT the problem. The problem is neighbourhoods blocking redevelopment that they see no benefit from. This is why I have provided the above solution.

3) At the all levels of government require a significant number of coop shared ownership developments. These will enable people to buy a home without speculating in the home / property market.

This required speculation in the home / property market is the reason why collapsing home / property prices will collapse the entire economy.

Removing the forces driving speculation will enable holding prices; and property speculation will no longer be the most profitable investment and no longer suck money out of the economy.

We are in a very dangerous place, where the solution must be chosen careful not to cause an economic crisis initiated by house prices collapse. http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/vancouver-housing-market-source-of-worry-says-bank-of-canada http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/statistics-canada-debt-income-financial-1.3634166