©Don Hamilton 万锦市第三选区(渔人村)市议员Don Hamilton
万锦市渔人村(Unionville)近年来兴起翻建热,还出现房产投资者购买房子后将房子空置的问题,改变了社区原貌。
以下是贴心姐妹网对万锦市第三选区(渔人村)市议员Don Hamilton的书面专访。
Loving Sister: What are the major issues related to housing in Markham, particularly in Unionville?
Don Hamilton: The major issues could be grouped into two categories: (i) cost of housing (ii) building issues with new housing. As to the first, the cost of housing in Unionville and indeed all over the GTHA and beyond continues to skyrocket. Although I believe most housing was out of reach of first time home buyers for a long time, the recent rapid escalation in prices makes housing in Markham-Unionville even more unaffordable for most. The second issue centres around the mess that infill housing is creating within established communities such as Varley Village, Unionville. As homes are knocked down and replaced people become exasperated with dealing with construction and all it entails.
Loving Sister: Are the policies/measures announced by the provincial government through its "Ontario's Fair Housing Plan" and budget recently adequate to deal with the issues related to housing in Markham? If not, what kind of policies/measures do you propose?
Don Hamilton: Certainly time will tell whether the measures that the provincial Government has taken will prove to be effective. I really don’t think it will cause much of a price decrease in homes in the area. I expect it might create a leveling of prices. Builders that I have spoken with say that the rent control provision contained in the recently announced policies will deter them from building any new rental units. That’s not a good thing!
Loving Sister: Should the City of Markham utilize some tools the provincial government offers such as a vacant homes property tax and airbnb/hotel tax?
Don Hamilton: Frankly, I would like to see AIRBNB’s banned outright from Markham. Any of the trial properties that I have experienced as AIRBNB’s cause nothing but grief and upheaval within solidly residential family communities. We haven’t talked about Vacancy tax for homes as yet. I think it would be almost impossible to administer. What do you do for many of our seniors who are “snowbirds” for 6 months of the year? Tax them?
©Loving Sister Media Inc.
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