Arabnews24.ca:Wednesday 11 May 2022 06:56 AM: When Irene Dickson thinks about affordability, her 36-year-old daughter Jamie comes to mind.
Despite working every day of the week (five days as a project manager for an archeology firm and two at a bookstore), Jamie can't afford a home.
Instead, Jamie rents a home in Burlington, Ont., with her mother. Dickson, a single mother for most of Jamie's life, has been in the unit for 16 years, which has helped keep costs down.
If Jamie moves out, Dickson, 62, said it'll be more expensive for both of them.
"It's ridiculous out there. There's no affordable housing ... she works seven days a week and can't afford a house. It's kind of sad," Dickson said, who added her own dreams of buying a home have also been dashed.
"If I bought a house, I might've lost it anyway. It is what it is ... I will probably continue to rent for the rest of my life."
With a provincial election on June 2, voters say affordability is top of their minds.
Many point to housing when talking about affordability, but groceries, gas and just about everything else have become more expensive too.
These families say while they are feeling the pinch, they are concerned about how it'll affect their children.
Justin Hodge, who lives in Hamilton's Stoney Creek area with his wife and 10-month-old daughter Elisabeth, said he feels the pressure of rising costs whenever he visits the grocery store, fills up his car's gas tank or peeks at home prices.
"My wife and I do OK for the most part. We can provide our daughter with life and we can stay ahead just barely," he said.
While Hodge said they're able to make ends meet, he struggles to put away money to purchase a home or pay for his daughter's post-secondary education.
"This is something that's going to affect all of our kids' futures," he said, adding he feels millennials like him are falling behind in society compared to the previous generation.
Ijaz Zafarullah, 49, said he, his wife and three kids moved to Stoney Creek three years ago to escape rising housing prices in Maple, Ont.
But the rising cost of homes has arrived in Hamilton too. Research from Oxford Economics last year ranked Hamilton as the third least affordable city in North America, behind Toronto and Vancouver.
Zafarullah said he thinks of his eldest child, who is in university, and how in a few years she'll be looking for a place to live.
"If I compare my situation when I bought my home to now, it's moving in the wrong direction," he said, adding rent prices are also too high.
Dickson, Hodge and Zafarullah all have one thing in common besides a shared frustration for the lack of affordability right now — they also aren't completely satisfied with any party's approach.
Hodge said while he's leaned Conservative his whole life, he's shifting his vote toward NDP because of their path to make life more affordable.
That said, he feels all the parties offer Band-aid solutions rather than long-term plans.
Zafarullah, meanwhile, said he doesn't know who he'll vote for.
How are the main parties tackling affordability?
The Progressive Conservatives shared a few ways they're pledging to save people money. Their pre-election budget includes:
- Cutting the provincial gas tax by 5.3 cents per litre for six months starting July 1.
- Removing tolls on Highways 412 and 418 in Durham Region.
- Increasing a non-resident speculation tax rate from 15 per cent to 20 per cent.
- Enhancing the low-income individuals and families tax credit to make more people eligible to receive at least a partial rebate on their income tax.
- Introducing an Ontario Seniors Care at Home tax credit to help some people aged 70 and up cover costs for essentials like walkers, hearing aids and attendant care.
It's important to note the Progressive Conservatives said they would stick to this budget if elected, but have already announced a new promise that isn't in the budget that is serving as their platform.
Here's some of what the Liberals believe will help improve the cost of living.
- Raising minimum wage to $16 per hour in 2023.
- Increasing Ontario Disability Support Program rates by 10 per cent as of July 1.
- Transit fare will only cost $1 per ride until 2024.
- Create a single rent-control system for the province.
- Tax international owners of vacant homes five per cent and Canadian owners of vacant homes two per cent.
Here's some of what the NDP is proposing to make life more affordable:
- Raising minimum wage to $16 per hour in 2022, then $20 in 2026.
- Freezing income taxes on low-income and middle-income households for four years.
- Introducing an annual speculation and vacancy tax on residential property that applies to all speculators who own homes they don't live in.
- Providing prescription drug coverage to all Ontarians through universal pharmacare and covering mental health care under OHIP.
- Immediately reducing fees for before- and after-school child care.
What issues matter to you?
CBC Hamilton wants to hear what issues matter to you and what will inform the choice you make on election day.
Fill out the questionnaire below to help us know which issues voters want to see focused on.
