Filipinos in Canada demand more affordable housing

Rowena Papasin | TFC News Vancouver

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i4C5tqMEto0?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>British Columbia is facing its worst housing crisis in years.B.C. Premier David Eby admitted that it has become a real challenge to find affordable homes in the province.&quot;That&#x27;s especially true for people who are vulnerable like migrant workers and others, people who are working in jobs that are lower wage jobs,&quot; he said. &quot;So, we need more rental housing to be built.&quot;This is why the government is rolling out new measures to make more affordable homes available.Among these are the ban on short-term rentals like the AirBnBs a Vrbo, to free up more units for long-term rentals, as well as building more duplexes or four-plexes, and allowing secondary suites on properties zoned for single-family homes.Homeowners who want to build a secondary suite that they plan to rent out can also get up to 40,000 Canadian dollars in loan starting April 2024.The loan is forgivable under certain conditions.&quot;In five years, they have to rent out that unit that they built below market price, like really low price so to help out all these newcomers,&quot; said Edwin Lorico of the Design and Construction Management. &quot;In five years, that loan $40,000. You do not have to pay back to the government.&quot;Filipino-Canadians are glad that the government is finding ways to solve the problem. But some said these measures are still not enough.&quot;Hopefully, the buildings that we’re trying to build now will kind of lessen the problem,&quot; said Bernadette Escudero, a restaurant owner. &quot;But I don’t think the problem will ever go away.&quot;Escudero’s business partners note that the shortage of affordable homes and the sky-high rents in Metro Vancouver are driving more people to live farther out.&quot;You can&#x27;t afford anything now in Vancouver,&quot; said Alex Antonio. &quot;You have to venture out in Abbotsford or Kelowna to get a better price.&quot;Evelyn Lopez, meanwhile, said that buying a home instead of renting has also become increasingly out of reach due to higher interest rates and the high cost of living.&quot;It&#x27;s still difficult to buy because wages are still low no matter what we do,&quot; she said. &quot;Food is also expensive and banks want only a certain percentage of income to go to the mortgage.&quot;With more immigrants expected to make the province their home in the coming years, Filipino-Canadians urged the government to take further steps to effectively address the housing crisis.Member of Parliament Don Davies, who represents the Vancouver-Kingsway riding, said the housing crisis is happening not just in B.C. but in many parts of Canada.He stressed that this is a problem that government should treat as if it’s going to war.&quot;It&#x27;s a national shame that a country as wealthy as Canada has people living on the streets,&quot; he said. &quot;Or so many people who are doing what they&#x27;re asked to do, they&#x27;re working hard, they&#x27;re paying their bills, and they still can&#x27;t have an adequate place for them and their families.&quot;

British Columbia scrambles to meet the increased demand for affordable housing in the province. 