The divide between homeowner and those who will never be able to afford a home has never been greater – and the scale seems to be sliding in the wrong direction.
It’s a phenomenon that’s been plaguing B.C. for decades, forcing young families out of the province as rich retirees from all over the country and big money from everywhere else in the world move in to take their places. But now it’s reached a terminal phase, as we see on the Lower Mainland, where literal dumps are selling for millions and being flipped like rotten logs for millions more in profit. The situation has become so obscene that the politicians are now pledging to “do something.”
Laws restricting foreign ownership, a tax on vacant properties, creating more affordable or co-op housing and other solutions are far too little, far too late to make a difference in the lives of landless Canadians who are struggling now. Unless they stand to inherit property or wealth, many of our fellow citizens are simply S.O.L.
That’s one reason there was so much public sympathy last April for the young couple whose dwellings were demolished after they had been living in a clear-cut above Roberts Creek for about three years. The mistake they made, said more than one commenter, was “squatting” on privately owned instead of Crown land.
Which brings us to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Last month, Putin signed a law to let Russian citizens apply for up to one hectare of free land in six different regions of the country’s Far East. The law came into effect June 1 and the first applications have already been approved.
“Under the program, which aims to boost the economy of Russia’s Far East, the land can be used for residential construction, farming or business,” the Moscow Times reported. “After the five-year period, land occupants can receive full ownership, which will allow [them] to rent or sell the plot.”
Crown land makes up some 95 per cent of B.C. and 89 per cent of Canada. If there’s a country in the world (other than Russia) that can offer free land to its citizens, it’s Canada.
It wouldn’t be for everyone, but for those who still have some of the homesteader spirit in their blood and who see little future for themselves or their families in congested, overpriced and overrated urban areas, it could be the answer.
We have the land. We just need leaders with some character, vision and heart.
