VICTORIA - A new report prepared by the City of Vancouver confirms that the Campbell Liberals' commitments on homelessness are nothing but empty promises, New Democrat Housing Critic Diane Thorne said today.

"The Campbell Liberals had promised to build 3200 units of affordable housing in the four years leading up to the Olympics, but now we are learning that this was just another empty promise," said Thorne, the MLA for Coquitlam Maillardville. "The Campbell Liberals can't be trusted to keep their promises, whether it's on affordable housing, poverty reduction, workplace safety, or climate change."

The City of Vancouver report, along with a draft response from VANOC and the governments of B.C., Canada, and Vancouver, will be presented to Vancouver City Council on Thursday. The report notes that, due to a lack of funding from the provincial government, it is unlikely that the goal of building 800 units a year of affordable housing will be met.

"I would have hoped that building 800 units of affordable housing a year would be just the starting point, but it looks like the Campbell Liberals won't even be able to deliver that," said Thorne. "We have been calling for the provincial government to fund a minimum of 1200 units of affordable housing a year, so the fact that in an era of huge surpluses they aren't even willing to fund a mere 800 units is just appalling."

According to the report, an additional 250 housing units promised for temporary Olympic workers will also likely not be built.

"This report just confirms what many people already knew. Housing Minister Rich Coleman enjoys making big announcements, but when it comes to actually delivering on those promises, he comes up short," said Thorne. "The proof is in the pudding. This report shows that while the Campbell Liberals are more than happy to take credit for stuff they haven't even delivered on, a growing number of British Columbians are being left behind by this government's policies.

"Under Gordon Campbell, the number of people who are homeless has more than doubled," said Thorne. "The Premier seems more than willing to vote himself a 54 percent raise, but investing in affordable housing is just not a priority for his government."