Business Community Anti-poverty Initiative

Originally posted 10/19/06 on PersonPlaceorThing.blogspot.com

When reading some documents on the Business Community Anti-poverty Initiative (http://www.bcapi.ca/) website, I stumbled across this in the January 2006 newsletter:

There are some compelling signs of housing momentum in Saint John. 100 new units of affordable housing were launched in 2005, and the city has taken up the lion’s share of recent RRAP dollars available to NB (RRAP is a federal-provincial program designed to help renovate dwellings for affordable housing). And now, with the addition of dedicated CMHC resources in Saint John, there are new synergies developing between all levels of government.

There are also positive signals emerging concerning action on substandard housing. In the recent speech from the throne, the province committed itself to getting tough on slum lords.

On the housing front, BCAPI is working hard to maintain the momentum. BCAPI’s Housing Chair Gregor Hope made the case for action on slumlords in a presentation to the government’s local caucus some months ago, and he is currently doing his own personal bit on the affordable housing file – constructing four new units in the city’s North End.

Action against slumlords is key to success. Further, when new affordable housing stock comes online slum landlords have to improve to compete. If people don't have to rent slums, slums will not be operated by reasonable businesspeople looking to make profits.