Close X
Friday, November 8, 2024
ADVT 
National

Housing Affordability In Calgary An Issue For Refugees Arriving In City: Naheed Nenshi

The Canadian Press, 02 Dec, 2015 11:59 AM
    Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi says there are more than enough rental spaces for Syrian refugees arriving in the city, but help from the private sector is needed to make sure those units are affordable.
     
    Nenshi says there is already a long wait list in Calgary for social housing, so the 1,300 expected refugees will need other options until they get their feet under them.
     
    He says there's a vacancy rate of about five per cent — or 2,500 units — in a city that has been hit hard economically by the downturn in crude prices.
     
    But he says rents are still too high for many refugees — at least until they can line up good jobs and get their English skills up to speed.
     
    Two Calgary real estate firms — Mainstreet Equity and Boardwalk REIT — are chipping in.
     
    Mainstreet CEO Bob Dhillon said his firm is setting aside a minimum of 200 apartments for refugees, either free for the first 90 days or at a discount for a year, while Boardwalk's David McIlveen says his company is setting aside 350 units at a $150-a-month discount.
     
    "These two gentlemen and their companies are what you might call Canadians with thick wallets and big hearts," Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees Minister John McCallum told reporters after discussing Canada's refugee response with Calgary stakeholders.
     
    "I'm hoping they are the tip of the iceberg and their example will induce others to come forward with similar contributions so that we can welcome refugees, not just with a smile, but with a roof over their heads and all of the other things that they need to begin their lives in Canada."
     
    Nenshi said he recently met a refugee family of four who found a house to rent for $1,100 a month. While that's not bad by Calgary standards, it's not tenable when the family's monthly income is currently $1,500.
     
    "The guy's a mechanical engineer, so he's going to be fine once they get their English-language skills in place," said Nenshi.
     
    "So we cannot afford to have people lose their opportunity to be great Canadians over a few hundred dollars a month. We can't lose the game at the end over a few inches."

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Opposition To Alberta Government's Farm Safety Bill Continues To Grow

    Opposition To Alberta Government's Farm Safety Bill Continues To Grow
    Bill 6 would make Workers' Compensation Board coverage mandatory for farm workers and would cancel the agriculture sector's exemption from occupational health and safety rules.

    Opposition To Alberta Government's Farm Safety Bill Continues To Grow

    Wall Says He's Not An Outlier On Climate Talks In Paris; Promotes Carbon Capture

    Wall Says He's Not An Outlier On Climate Talks In Paris; Promotes Carbon Capture
    REGINA — Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall says he's not an outsider at an international climate change conference in Paris.

    Wall Says He's Not An Outlier On Climate Talks In Paris; Promotes Carbon Capture

    Taxpayers Paying For Justin Trudeau Children's Nannies

    Taxpayers Paying For Justin Trudeau Children's Nannies
    A spokesperson for Justin Trudeau is defending the prime minister's use of taxpayer dollars to finance two nannies who are helping to look after the family's three children.

    Taxpayers Paying For Justin Trudeau Children's Nannies

    Two Canadian Brothers Free Eagle From Trap; Video Of Release Goes Viral

    Two Canadian Brothers Free Eagle From Trap; Video Of Release Goes Viral
    SUDBURY, Ont. — The heroics of two northern Ontario brothers who freed a bald eagle from a leghold trap last week have gone viral.

    Two Canadian Brothers Free Eagle From Trap; Video Of Release Goes Viral

    Ottawa-Area MP, Diagnosed With Lou Gehrig's Disease, Withdraws From Speaker Race

    Ottawa-Area MP, Diagnosed With Lou Gehrig's Disease, Withdraws From Speaker Race
    Belanger informed his political colleagues of the diagnosis in a statement on Monday.

    Ottawa-Area MP, Diagnosed With Lou Gehrig's Disease, Withdraws From Speaker Race

    New Brunswick Opposition Turns Over Atcon Computer Servers To The RCMP

    New Brunswick Opposition Turns Over Atcon Computer Servers To The RCMP
    Opposition spokesman Bob Fowlie says the servers were bought at a bankruptcy auction in 2013, but the party only became aware of the information on one of the servers recently.

    New Brunswick Opposition Turns Over Atcon Computer Servers To The RCMP