Your regular reminder that the provincial government is spending 100s of millions of $ a year to lower multimillionaire homeowners’ property taxes. And they just raised the maximum threshold.

Imagine if we spent this to raise the rates or build public housing instead

I was honestly hoping I wouldn’t have to do this, because I have tons of respect for you, @selinarobinson, but I’m frankly so disappointed. I imagine you know that this does nothing for affordability.

Meanwhile renters don’t have any help except temporary, means-tested ones that requires a residential address and thus excludes those most in need of it

(I’m referring to this) https://www.bchousing.org/BCTRS 

And shoutout to @squilax_mcg who showed me how hard it is to apply for this. It’s appalling.

Again, I didn’t expect the @bcndp to get rid of this homeowner grant. It would be a political death sentence, since the majority of households in BC are homeowners. But I’d expect that we wouldn’t make it easier for multimillionaires to claim this DURING A PANDEMIC AND DOWNTURN

There are so, so many critically more important things we could be spending $100s of millions on. It makes me utterly livid.

@SChandraHerbert @Dave_Eby where is rent relief? Why are we continuing to prioritize wealthy, comfortably housed folks instead of those without? This isn’t why I donate, volunteer, and vote for the NDP.

Please raise the goddamn rates

How about instead of lowering the taxes of those with multimillion dollar properties, we give more than $375 for housing to those on income assistance. Raise it to $700 and index it to inflation.

There are also so many ways you could structure this so that it’s more progressive, and not just those wealthy enough to buy, can benefit. How about a housing tax deduction for all, regardless of whether you rent or own?

I’m also pretty confused as to why. How many $1.6 million dollar home owning people vote NDP ffs???

It’s very, very telling to me that every year without fail, we effectively “raise the rates” of assistance to multimillion dollar homeowners, while the housing assistance $ figure stays the same. Inflation doesn’t just apply to the wealthy!!!

Budget details like this can be dry and seemingly boring but they’re what reveals what the policy priorities of electeds really are. And it sure doesn’t look like the priority is low income renters or those without secure housing to me

I was truly hoping that with the new, solid mandate the NDP has, and with the cabinet shuffle, this wouldn’t happen any more. Nope, it happened under @carolejames and the minority govt, and it’s still happening now. You can’t blame the BCGreens anymore @bcndp @jjhorgan.

Why exactly are you raising the rates of assistance to multimillionaire homeowners while keeping housing assistance at $375?

I sure hope you have a plan and BUDGET $$$ to deal with the looming eviction crisis

It’s honestly really frustrating because if you didn’t raise the assistance for multimillionaires and raised the income assistance rates instead, I’d be the first to write glowing op-eds on your ethical policy priorities and putting the budget where your mouth is.

As it is, I’m very seriously thinking of writing a scathing op-ed instead of the very party I send monthly donations to

Why do you do this to me?