I think that`s a great idea - certainly would give a boost to the economy, if the move in costs were low enough - both in terms of construction jobs
and the residual effects (again, if the sticker price was low enough).
Canada`s affordable housing situation is something that seriously needs to be addressed. I cringe whenever I think of how much I had to fork out in
rent in Canada every month - about $1,000 a month for a smallish 1 bedroom in a marginally safe area of Toronto, not including heat, electricity, etc.
650 a month for a basement apartment in Ottawa that was probably illegal and had no natural light to speak of.... and on and on.
Even in a small town, you`ll have problems finding something decent in a 1BR for less than $500/mo.
People seem to have gotten used to the idea - I know quite a few people who live more than 100km from work - a decision they made years ago to save on
rent/mortgage costs. Now that the 200km/day commute is a lot more expensive with gas prices on the rise... combined with deregulated power price
increases... no one seems to be making any financial progress. Especially people just starting out on their own.
Over here in Japan, by comparison, I can rent a new studio apartment, all included (even high speed internet and cable), with parking, semi-furnished
(with all new stuff), a couple of minutes walk from the main (Yamanote) train line in Tokyo for about $700/month. Here`s one example:
www.leopalace21.com...
That real estate chain tends to be a little pricey - you can find quite a bit for less. (I tend to use the conversion of 100¥=$1.00 CDN, because if
you work here, 100¥ has about the same buying power of a loonie at home. )
Out here in the sticks, for what it`s worth, I pay a whopping $320 a month for a 1 bedroom second floor apartment (10 year old building), with
parking, all inclusive. 2 minutes walk from the supermarket, 5 minutes from work, 10 from the hot spring. Can`t remember ever hearing of a break-in in
the area. Safe as safe. Find me that anywhere in Canada, and I`ll be on a plane.
What that difference translates to is a few hundred extra dollars I have, each and every month, to drop into the local economy. That`s the economic
reality of affordable housing.
If your proposal allowed people to save a few hundred a month, what would that do for, say, the Canadian Automotive Sector? I`m thinking you`d
probably see the end of those ancient Le Baron rustbuckets and K-Cars PDQ.