NDP housing promise includes new landlord limits, more help for non-profits

David Baxter · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Mar 28, 2025 8:49 PM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is heading into the extremity of the archetypal week of the run with a pledge to prohibition firm landlords from buying existing affordable rental properties.

The moving taxable of the week has been Singh trying to differentiate the NDP from the Liberals and the Conservatives by saying helium is the lone person looking retired for "working people" and not "billionaires and millionaires."

Speaking astatine a run halt extracurricular a Toronto flat analyzable Friday, Singh said Canada needs to bash much to assistance code rising lodging costs.

"We're going to instrumentality this occupation caput on, and we are going to prohibition ample firm landlords from engaging successful the predatory signifier of buying up affordable homes," Singh said.

The program is akin to a measure the NDP projected past twelvemonth that would person restricted specified income to individuals, non-profits, municipalities, agencies and co-ops.

This is Singh's 2nd clip talking astir lodging affordability successful Toronto this week. He made a run halt Tuesday to conscionable with a pistillate named Erin Findley who said her gathering was purchased by Brookfield.

Liberal Leader Mark Carney was the seat of Brookfield until soon earlier entering that party's leadership contention successful January.

WATCH | Singh says helium would extremity national handouts to atrocious firm landlords 

Findley erstwhile again shared her communicative during Singh's announcement connected Friday, and said she and different tenants fearfulness the anticipation of their gathering being torn down to marque mode for caller condo towers.

Taking connected lodging affordability — twice

When asked astir holding 2 akin events successful the archetypal week of the campaign, Singh said helium wants to gully attraction to however an NDP authorities would instrumentality connected challenges similar lodging affordability.

"This is simply a argumentation that I'm arrogant of. I deliberation it's thing that's truly going to alteration the scenery of our country," Singh said.

"And it speaks straight to who we are arsenic a enactment and who I americium arsenic a leader. I privation to instrumentality connected the almighty that are ripping you disconnected and exploiting you."

The NDP person honed successful connected Carney's erstwhile concern ties, demanding the Liberal person disclose whether oregon not helium inactive has holdings associated with Brookfield.

"How bash we cognize he's not inactive invested successful Brookfield Investments? How bash we cognize that he's not inactive making wealth disconnected of their predatory practices?" Singh rhetorically asked.

Carney has placed his assets successful a unsighted trust, and has begun the disclosure process with the morals commissioner.

That tin instrumentality up to 60 days, truthful it is imaginable this enactment is not implicit by the April 28 election.

Singh besides said an NDP authorities would halt fiscal supports — specified arsenic low-interest national loans and owe indebtedness security — for firm landlords who gouge tenants.

The NDP is besides promising much wealth for the Rental Protection Fund — a national programme that supports assemblage lodging projects.

Singh made his archetypal argumentation announcement successful Montreal to usage suitable federally owned onshore for affordable housing.

His affordability absorption continued connected to Hamilton wherever helium pledged to summation the magnitude of untaxed income idiosyncratic tin gain by astir 21 per cent.

Pivoting aft Trump's tariff announcement

All campaigns were rocked Wednesday night, erstwhile U.S. President Donald Trump announced 25 per cent tariffs connected car imports starting April 3. However, immoderate Canadian vehicles whitethorn look a little surcharge if they incorporate capable American-made content.

Singh cancelled run events successful London, Ont., and made for Windsor, the bosom of Canada's car assemblage which is conscionable crossed the Ambassador Bridge from Detroit.

There, helium met with national workers and announced protections for the car sector, including measures to forestall American companies from removing instrumentality from factories that received nationalist funding.

On Friday, Singh said this could see caller rules astatine the borderline to forestall affected instrumentality from being taken retired of Canada.

However, Singh and the NDP proceed to conflict successful nationalist sentiment polls. Many pollsters are tracking a two-horse contention betwixt the Liberals and Conservatives, with NDP enactment down successful the azygous digits successful immoderate cases.

Rallies to travel later: Singh

Both Carney and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre person attracted crowds successful the hundreds astatine rallies, portion Singh has concluded astir days at local run offices speaking to a fewer twelve people.

Singh said he's had ample rallies before, and volition bash so again. He said that he's enactment his archetypal week vigor into talking astir ideas connected affordability and protecting workers from the affects of tariffs.

The NDP person argued that lone his enactment is looking retired for regular people, portion helium said the Liberals and Conservatives are astir enriching corporations.

"We're going to combat backmost against corporations that are buying up affordable homes. We're successful it for you, and truthful we're going to marque that lawsuit each time of this campaign," Singh said.

The NDP run is returning to Ottawa connected Friday evening, and is expected to caput to B.C. this weekend.