Victoria councillor Ben Isitt doesnB次元官网网址檛 want to see any empty homes in the city.

ThatB次元官网网址檚 why he and fellow councillor Jeremy Loveday are bringing a motion to council Jan. 17 asking the city to endorse the resolution that vacancy taxation authority should be extended to local governments.

Isitt told Black Press heB次元官网网址檚 repeating a request he made two years ago that won support from council and the Union of BC Municipalities.

RELATED:

B次元官网网址淭he province hasnB次元官网网址檛 yet taken action to give local governments the authority to implement this kind of tax outside of Vancouver so weB次元官网网址檙e basically reiterating our request,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淲e have a housing crisis. I think if you ask many members of the public; they think itB次元官网网址檚 wrong that units of housing are sitting empty while some people are sleeping on the streets or others are insecurely housedB次元官网网址�B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭his gives the strong financial incentive for the owners of property to use their properties to house people rather than to just sit on empty homes,B次元官网网址� Isitt added.

Vancouver implemented a vacancy tax in November, 2016 to deal with the empty home issue B次元官网网址� a tax that more than 80 per cent of Metro Vancouver residents supported.

A showed that as of Jan. 1, 2018, VancouverB次元官网网址檚 tax had raked in $38 million B次元官网网址� revenue the city says is for initial implementation costs and affordable housing initiatives.

Isitt hopes a vacancy tax in Victoria could be used the same way.

B次元官网网址淎t this stage, itB次元官网网址檚 just a request to the province to allow us to introduce this kind of a tax,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚f we get that authority then we would get our staff to develop a program for Victoria, and I would anticipate that it would be closely modeled on VancouverB次元官网网址檚 program.B次元官网网址�

Isitt is hopeful he and Loveday will have councilB次元官网网址檚 support.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e taken some progressive and strong stances on housing rates and I think this proposal is consistent with that direction,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 think if the city of Vancouver has it, I canB次元官网网址檛 see why other communities like Victoria shouldnB次元官网网址檛 be able to decide whether or not to introduce a tax along these lines.B次元官网网址�

RELATED:

Isitt has also encouraged the city to buy land for affordable housing investments by regional, provincial and federal governments.

He and Loveday present their vacancy tax motion to council at the Jan. 17 meeting.

Victoria councillor wants city to buy more land for affordable housing by isitt

B次元官网网址� Ben Isitt (@Ben_Isitt)