SURREY — Liberal Surrey Centre MP Randeep Sarai held a press conference Friday morning to speak about gangs and housing.
Sarai spoke about the federal funding to tackle gun violence and gang activity and the National Housing Strategy.
Facebook LiveHousing announcements
On Wednesday (Nov. 22), the federal Liberals announced a $40 billion housing strategy with the goal of reducing chronic homelessness and protecting Canadians from losing their homes.
Sarai said the plan considers seniors, Indigenous persons, survivors of violence, those with disabilities, refugees, veterans and those struggling with homelessness.
Speaking about the goal to cut homelessness numbers in half, Sarai said that is a “significant amount, particularly in this (Surrey Centre) riding.”
Sarai said the plan has a goal of removing 530,000 households “out of housing need.”
The federal government wants to build 100,000 new housing units, which would quadruple the number of housing units built under federal programs when compared to the ten-year period between 2005 and 2015.
They also want to repair three times the number of units when compared to the same time period.
Thirty-four units at Guildford’s Arboretum Housing Co-Operative will be repaired and upgraded: $368,000 will be allotted for this project, the feds have revealed.
That money comes out of the 2016-18 Social Infrastructure Fund, which provided $574 million for such projects over a two-year period.
Co-op agreements that are in the process of expiring in the next few years will be protected, assured Sarai, noting the stability and longevity of Surrey co-ops was “one of the first questions I was ever asked when I was nominated to run in this riding. And I’m glad I can answer that question firmly today.”
See also: Feds plan to spend billions on housing strategy
See also: Feds announce housing help in Surrey
See also: B.C. co-ops relieved with Ottawa’s housing strategy
Housing is the number one issue facing B.C., Sarai said.
“House prices are out of the realm of many young people and newcomers to the province and even, in fact, existing homeowners,” he added.
The housing strategy, said Sarai, encourages construction of homes that are accessible, mixed-income, mixed-use and located close to transit, work and public services.
“Those that want to build transitional housing, affordable housing along transit routes will be encouraged and will be incentivized,” he said. “Our goal is to build more rental stock, more affordable housing along transit corridors. Those that have creative solutions along with commercial spaces nearby so that people can work, live and shop in the same areas, those will be prioritized. And those that give more housing to families and women and vulnerable women will have even more prioritization.”
“For a riding like Surrey, this will have direct impacts…. It coincides with our commitment to bring light rapid transit to Surrey and these housing units will be expected to be built along those routes,” Sarai added.
Most of the money from this $40 billion announcement won’t be spent until after the next federal election in 2019.
That includes $4 billion which was set aside for the Canada Housing Benefit plan, which will be launched in 2020.
The Canada Housing Benefit is intended to give $2,500 per year to ‘each household recipient.’ At least 300,000 families will benefit from the announcement, according to the feds.Gang-fighting funds announced
On Nov. 17, the federal government announced it would spend $327.6 million over five years – and $100 million every year after that – to reduce gun violence and gang activity.
So far this year, there have been at least 45 shots-fired incidents in Surrey, most of them connected to the drug trade.
To government also announced it will provide $10 million in urgent support to the Province of British Columbia to help address the opioid crisis.
See more: Feds will spend $327.6 million a year to fight guns and gangs
See also: An interactive timeline of shootings in Surrey dating back to 2014
“Some may say the details (on the prevention side of the plan) are not out as clearly, and the reason they’re not out is we actually want information from front-line workers,” explained Sarai. “Our goal is by March, we have reports and requests from experts, practitioners, frontline personnel and decision makers so we know what initiatives we can help in.”
The government says it hopes to hear from key stakeholders, including law enforcement agencies, provincial, territorial and municipal governments, community and mental health organizations, Indigenous groups, government and non-governmental organizations.
After bringing together experts, practitioners, front-line personnel, and decision makers, Sarai said there will be a Summit on Criminal Guns and Gangs in March 2018.
The national summit will focus on the challenges, solutions and best practices in the fight against gun crime and in combating the deadly effects of gangs and illegal guns in communities across Canada.
Sarai said initiatives like Surrey’s anti-gang Wraparound program could see funding, and likely elementary school programming since “we’re hearing now that guns and gang violence starts at actually a young age, it actually starts in the elementary years.”
He shared some statistics during his press conference.
“In 2016, firearms violations increased by 30 per cent since 2013. Homicides and murders involving firearms are significantly higher than non-gang related,” he noted. “In gang homicides, the use of guns is 76 per cent. In non-gang homicides, it’s 20 per cent. So clearly gun use is more prevalent in gang crime and gang violence. We want to reduce that.”
Sarai said work has been done on the enforcement front for Surrey, as well. After being elected, he said the caucus met with Surrey RCMP.
“We spent a whole day meeting with every single department with the Surrey RCMP finding out what they needed,” he told reporters. “At that time the biggest necessity federally they were speaking of, one was to ensure additional police forces requested by the City of Surrey would arrive in time which I’m happy to say they have. The second was for a forensic lab to happen here in Surrey which we’re pleased to say is being built currently and it’s a $58-million federally funded forensic lab here in Green Timbers that will employ over 140 specialized forensic DNA specialists and I think gun shot analysts here in Surrey. It’s creating employment its also helping reduce crime, solve it faster.”
He went on to say he ran on a commitment to launching a crime task force.
“Which I did, with the City of Surrey,” he said. “I was glad they were doing one simultaneously, that we were able to participate in. That has led to a great initiative currently which is the Mayors’ Gang Task Force, which I’m happy and pleased to be on. This, paired with our federal initiative, I think is going to have a great impact specifically for Surrey as the federal summit on this is going to be in March 2018 and in Surrey, we’re expecting by June to have a report from the gang task force the mayor is doing.”
-With files from Black Press
