EXCLUSIVE: MP doubles down on 'bailout' criticism after housing minister blames 'misinformation'

VANCOUVER — Housing Minister Gregor Robertson has repeatedly denied that a joint Ottawa-British Columbia proposal to buy unsold condos to turn into affordable housing is a "bailout" for developers.

He was asked about the backlash during a press conference in East Vancouver on Wednesday, and chalked it up to "misinformation."

"There is no bailout," he declared. "That's a bunch of misinformation about an opportunity that the BC government is leading to ensure that empty homes right now are acquired below market and made available on a rent-to-own program."

Robertson argued that the plan "has been twisted around by the Conservative opposition first and foremost into many things that it is not."

He then urged everyone to avoid jumping to conclusions, noting that the details are still being ironed out.

"Any mischaracterization is premature," Robertson emphasized. "Nobody has seen what this program will be."

Among the diverse coalition of politicians, pundits, and everyday people calling for answers is MP Jenny Kwan. She was in attendance at the press conference as it was in her riding of East Vancouver.

Following the event, Sitka Media asked what she thought of Robertson's response.

"With all due respect to the minister," she said. "In fact it was [Prime Minister Mark Carney] who actually said that the condo conversion — what he called the condo conversion program — is a program to buy up unsold condos because developers don't want to sell at a loss and they don't want to wait."

Kwan went on to suggest that, "if there’s any 'disinformation,' supposedly, that actually came from the prime minister himself."

She called on the government to address the "unanswered questions" regarding the proposal, arguing that, "if you buy condos because they can’t be sold — if it’s not a bailout then exactly what is it?"

Robertson was in town to announce $53.4 million in federal assistance for the retrofitting of 276 homes in the Adanac Housing Co-op. Kwan applauded that move, and suggested the federal government should focus more of their efforts on co-operative housing.

"We know that co-operatives is a tried and true success model," she said, "so instead of buying unsold condominiums that are over-priced in the market, why don’t we actually invest that money into the development of co-operatives, into the development of social housing?”

‘If we don’t do it, someone else will’: Eby, Carney defend plan to purchase unsold condos

They both justified the move, and argued that it does not equate to a “bailout” of developers, as some have suggested.

Sitka MediaJarryd Jäger

Earlier this month, Carney and Premier Eby justified the plan, claiming that, "if we don't do it, someone else will do it — large, private-sector investors will make them available for rent for profit, and then flip them."