Jagmeet Singh calls for immediate action on housing crisis

NDP Leader and Burnaby South byelection candidate Jagmeet Singh is calling on Justin Trudeau to remove federal taxes from affordable housing construction projects.

At a campaign event in Burnaby, Singh said his plan would help spur the building of half a million new affordable housing units over the next decade.

"Year after year, the Trudeau government keeps telling Canadians to wait for action on housing. Meanwhile, they give billions in corporate tax giveaways and spend billions more on a pipeline," he said "If we make different choices, we can bring relief to Canadians."

Singh said the idea to remove federal taxes from the cost of affordable housing construction appeared in the Liberal's 2015 platform but has not been acted upon.

"Mr. Trudeau calls the housing situation a crisis; it's time he starts acting like it," said Singh.

On Feb.25, almost 17 months after he was elected leader of the federal NDP, Singh will tryto win a seat in the House of Commons in abyelection in Burnaby South.