The leader of the federal NDP was in Nanaimo last week to speak with seniors about the challenges they face with the cost of living.
Jagmeet Singh, joined by Nanaimo-Ladysmith MP Lisa Marie Barron, held consultation May 23 with seniors at the Canadian Union of Public Employees office in Harewood.
“One of the biggest things is people are really struggling with the cost of rent,” Singh said. “It is taking up so much of seniors’ income, particularly seniors living on a fixed income. So we need to do something urgently to make sure we can lower the cost of living, make sure people can find a home that’s in their budget and they can afford groceries and the other necessities of life.”
He said seniors he spoke to have reported spending 60-70 per cent of their income, or even more, on accommodations.
“When you think about seniors on a fixed income and how much it costs to rent a place, they’re so out of balance that people are struggling,” Singh said.
He said Canadians across the country are experiencing challenges affording rent and being able to buy a home. Asked about B.C. specifically, he said the provincial government has taken steps to address the housing crisis that other provinces haven’t taken, but it’s still not enough.
“The federal government has not stepped up with the urgency necessary to deal with the problems that we’re up against,” he said.
In a press release following the event, the party pledged to keep pushing the federal government on cost-of-living measures.
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