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OTTAWA — British Columbians sent the federal government a powerful cry for help during a four-month public consultation on how to create a National Housing Strategy, according to a $670,000 report to be released Tuesday.

B.C. respondents were by far the most active in participating in an online survey, filling out 1,741 of the 6,351 questionnaires focusing on their hopes and expectations in a national plan that’s expected to be launched in Budget 2017.

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That’s more than 27 per cent of the total number of submissions for a province with roughly 13 per cent Canada’s population.

For comparison’s sake, Ontarians, in a province with three times B.C.’s population, submitted 2,046 questionnaires, Albertans 818 and Quebecers just 468.

And B.C. participants were more intensely concerned about the affordability issue than those in other major provinces.

Affordability would be the “most desired outcome” of a national plan for 51 per cent of B.C. respondents, compared to 47 per cent in Ontario, 40 per cent in Alberta, and just 31 per cent in Quebec.