Will Canada's first national housing strategy make a difference in B.C.?

Two B.C. housing experts say Canada's first evernational housing strategy is a step in the right direction, but may not make a dent in the province's acute affordabilitycrisis.

The federal government has outlined the details of its ten-year plan, which includes the introduction of a housing benefit for low-income families.

"Housing rights are human rights, everyone deserves a safe and affordable place to call home," said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau while announcing the plan Wednesday in Toronto.

The Liberal's plan comes with a $40 billion price tag to be shared by the federal government, and the provinces and territories.

While it's still unclear how much of the of the money will be directed towards B.C., Vancouver Mayor GregorRobertson expects the city to get it's per-capita share.

"Our work is to figure out where it can go in the city. We've set a target of 72,000 affordable homes over the next 10 years," said Robertson.

New-found optimism

PennyGursteen, the director of the School of Community and Regional Planning at the University of British Columbia, noted the plan aims to cut homelessness by 50 per cent, which she described as ambitious. But Gursteensaid the factthereeven is a strategy gives her optimism.

"This provides the opportunity for the province to actually start negotiating with the federal government on different aspects ... I think it's important to have that framework in order to start really looking at what needs to be done," said Gursteen.

Gursteensaid the federalplanaddresses just one segment of the Lower Mainland'scrisis those below the poverty line and themost disadvantaged in the housing market.

She saidthe plan doesn't address the bigger issue, which stems from the large gap in B.C. between salaries and housing prices.

'A very interesting position'

Gursteenalso saidthe government's decision to base the strategy around basic human rights has opened itup to a new level of criticism.

"This is a very interesting position. They have said, 'Look this is theway housing needs to be addressed, as a human right' ... So that really puts the onus on government to deliver that," said Gursteen.

Thom Armstrong, executive director of the Co-operative Housing Federation of B.C.,saida dent can be made in the province's crisis by investing in public-sector community housing.

"The [private sector] ...tends to think of housing more as an investment rather than the delivery of homes for people," said Armstrong.

Co-op housing

Armstrong said there are around 20,000co-op members living in Canada, with about 4,000 in B.C.

A portion of the $40 billion dollars will fundco-opsthatpreviously faced losingtheir federal subsidies.

Both Gursteen and Armstrong agreedthe previous Conservative federal government focused on developing policies that encouraged home ownership and didn't focus on supporting non-profit housing as a viable sector.

With files from On the Coast and Jon Hernandez