REALITY CHECK: Houston government’s housing numbers don’t add up

Halifax - Tim Houston’s government continues to boast that their housing plan is working. But the story changes weekly and Nova Scotians who are trying to buy, downsize or save for their first home have more questions than answers.

Last week, during a progress update, the Housing Minister and department officials confirmed that the province has “created the conditions for” 80,000 housing units, but only 9,000 are actually built or under construction.

During the Fall Economic Update on Thursday, the Minister of Finance said that housing supply is increasing and 15,000 new homes are under construction.

Regardless of which number the government is touting this week, their own economic update shows that housing starts this year are down by nearly 30% across Nova Scotia and down nearly 40% in Halifax relative to last year.

Despite the government’s own stats showing that things are headed in the wrong direction, the Housing Minister continues to claim that his government’s plan is working.

“While the Houston government keeps saying that the answer to high housing costs is to build more housing, the ministers in this government aren’t being clear about how much housing is actually getting built,” said NSNDP Finance Critic Lisa Lachance. “Yesterday’s update shows that families are reining in their household spending and making tough decisions as the cost of essentials keeps climbing. Housing is the single biggest monthly expense Nova Scotians pay. It's incredibly concerning that – five years in – this government doesn’t seem to know what’s going on with their own plan. They aren’t listening or acting with the urgency needed. Nova Scotians’ trust in this government is broken and it’s not hard to see why.”

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