Housing the biggest pocketbook issue in provincial election
The rapid rise in prices for housing of all types is the largest single pocketbook issue facing voters in the 2017 provincial election. The pocketbook issue which may prove to have the biggest influence on how people vote in the May 9 provincial election is housing. When looking back at the cost and availability of housing in 2013, when the last election was held, there is no comparison with the multiplicity of challenges on that front today. While the cost of detached houses had already risen substantially in some areas, sale prices were nowhere near what they are today. Townhouses and apartments were definitely affordable for most working people. Interest rates were low, as they are today, but the monthly payments were significantly less, simply because the initial cost was less. I took a close look at the Surrey, North Delta, White Rock and Langley markets in 2013 and 2017, based on Fraser Valley Real Estate Board sales statistics. In the markets other than Langley, p...