By ThinkPol Staff

British Columbians want the government to go after money launderers, tax evaders, speculators and other fraudsters operating in the province’s real estate market, public responses to the governing NDP’s 2018 budget consultation show.

Premier John Horgan’s government is scheduled to deliver its first full budget on February 20, and the NDP sought public input to on what to include in it .

Many citizens publicly shared their responses to the NDP’s request for consultation, and corruption, speculation and impact of foreign buyers on the housing market seemed to concern many.

“Pass a law no one can buy land or houses unless they are Canadians and jumped up prices will fall,” Dave Devitt of Chilliwack, BC, wrote. “When our kids can’t buy million dollar houses somethings wrong!”

“Healthcare, education and mental health and addictions funding,” Wendy Kathleen said. “Go after the money launderers, illegal real estate flippers, scammers, tax evaders and use the money towards all the above!”

“I’d like to see some real disruption of the corruption in BC – money laundering, organized crime, the debacle that is our housing market, etc,” Bex Tress wrote. “This requires manpower and money to oversee/enforce legislation. Be merciless.”

Others wanted the province to protect rental and affordable housing.

“Rents and loopholes used to kick tenants out so landlords can raise rent are out of control. Foreign investors are driving prices of housing up,” Nathan Bauman wrote. “Most landlords ban pets. Generations will grow up without happy and secure homes so that the rich can get richer. Please do something, Mr. Premier. Band-Aid solutions won’t cut it. Housing should be a human right.”

“I would like to see a focus on affordable housing,” Marjorie Plante told the NDP. “Not only building more but passing policies that protect people who live in low affordable options from being taken advantage of.”

But not everyone was on board with deflating the housing bubble.

“After I read post after post about crashing the housing market, I truly believe that people don’t understand the negative impact that would be for BC,” KrystalDawn Cooke of Victoria, BC said. “So many jobs are associated with the housing market. Unemployed people can’t afford houses either even when they are $300k. Think of all the trades, realtors, lawyers, restaurant workers and etc that have jobs because the housing market is doing so well.”