VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Some of the best real estate in the region is owned by those with the lowest incomes.

That’s according to the BC NDP, which wants to put those people under the microscope to see if they’re paying their fair share of taxes.

More than 24,000 homes in Metro Vancouver are owned by people declaring less income than it actually takes to pay a mortgage or otherwise maintain their property. That’s based on census data compiled in a new report.

“In this situation of people who are buying million-dollar homes and have poverty-level incomes, where are the teams of auditors?” wonders Housing Critic David Eby.

NDP Housing Critic Eby highlighting phenomenon of people on low incomes buying expensive properties in Vancouver. pic.twitter.com/Z7bjtzHiZ9 — Martin MacMahon (@martinmacmahon) July 15, 2016

“Use the income tax system to find and identify people who are claiming very low incomes but are buying expensive property. And use that data as a basis to determine whether we have a serious issue in this housing market or not,” he suggests.

Eby says this will help determine the influence of foreign money on our market.

He is proposing a two per cent tax for home owners who don’t pay income tax and for more federal enforcement on existing tax rules.