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LETTER: Housing the homeless is a provincial responsibility

Dear Editor: Re: Advocates Demand Action on Homelessness , July 15 front-page story.
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Dear Editor:

Re: Advocates Demand Action on Homelessness, July 15 front-page story.

It would be nice to hear that the “advocates” were putting some of their own money, some of their pension investments into providing housing for the homeless with mental health problems. Instead they want to tax my home and force me to do so. Health, mental health, is a provincial government responsibility and that is where these advocates should be going. It is not the role of a municipality to “meet them halfway.”

Municipal taxes are more onerous on those with below-average value homes, usually those with below average incomes.  The municipal tax on my home increased 15 per cent this year while my federal and provincial income taxes and sales taxes vary with my income.

I don’t believe that municipal governments are suited to deal with the homelessness.  

Ray Richards
West Vancouver

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