NDP, Bloc get top grades from Montreal social-housing advocacy group
CBC News | Posted: October 12, 2015 7:36 PM | Last Updated: October 12, 2015
FRAPRU says election campaign as a whole has been a disappointment when it comes to housing
A social-housing advocacy group in Montreal has put the NDP and Bloc Québécois at the top — and the Conservatives dead last — in a report assessing each federal party's commitment to affordable housing.
While some parties fared better than others, FRAPRU says the election campaign as a whole has been a disappointment.
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The Conservative party received the worst grade by far, with a score of 12 out of 100.
FRAPRU spokesperson François Saillant says the party's record on social housing has been very poor.
"They are giving peanuts, only peanuts. We are talking about $250 million all across Canada for new affordable housing," Saillant said.
The report bases part of the Conservatives' grade on their current record. Other parties are evaluated strictly on the basis of campaign promises.
FRAPRU lauded the NDP for its willingness to renew federal social-housing agreements but says the party leaves questions on homelessness unanswered.
Campaign a disappointment, group says
As a whole, FRAPRU said the issue of social housing has not been a big enough focus during the campaign. Saillant pointed to the two French-language leadership debates, where he said the word "housing" was mentioned only twice.
He said the lack of focus on social housing is even more disappointing, considering the length of the campaign.
FRAPRU ranked the parties based on five criteria for a total of 100 points: long-term funding to support subsidized housing (30); increased investment for new projects (30); funding for homeless-related programs (15); funding for housing on First Nations communities (15); and other housing-related promises (10).
Below is a list of the grade for each party:
- Bloc Québécois: 80
- NDP: 79
- Liberals: 66
- Green: 66
- Conservatives: 12