Dear Editor,
I recently discovered that my parents home in Richmond is not eligible for the homeowners grant.
The following is an excerpt from the BC Government website….
“You may qualify for a reduced grant amount if your property value is more than $1,100,000. The grant amount is reduced by $5 for every $1,000 your property value is over $1,100,000. If your property value is $1,269,000 or more the grant amount will be reduced to $0.”
Since their home, along with 90 per cent of homes in the Lower Mainland, are over the threshold, the majority of homeowners cannot take advantage of this grant.
House prices have increased in B.C., and especially the Lower Mainland, in the past couple of years and affordability is the main topic. Our youth, middle income and especially the seniors are having a hard time making ends meet, let alone pay high property taxes. Every little bit helps in trying to alleviate the burden of tax for seniors and the BC Liberals and our locally elected officials have not kept the concern of our residents in mind.
During last year’s civic election, the incumbant city councillors were all talking about keeping taxes low and making affordable housing a priority. Well, it’s been six months and nothing has been done. Council is still handing out development permits and the developers are loving every bit of it, like kids in a candy store. The current councillors have been in office for decades and have fallen asleep at the wheel.
A proactive council would have planned better years ago. Their lack of vision and planning has put our residents and community in a dire situation that will take years if not decades to fix.
It’s time to put our elected officials on notice.
Adil Awan
Richmond
