Chender calls on Houston to make housing a higher priority

HALIFAX – Today, Official Opposition Leader Claudia Chender demanded that Premier Tim Houston finally take housing affordability seriously, restore a Department of Housing and appoint a dedicated minister to tackle Nova Scotia’s worsening housing crisis.

“Right now, it’s as expensive to live in Halifax as it is to live in Toronto. Families are being priced out of their apartments and homes. Renters are being forced to move because of the fixed-term lease loophole, and young Nova Scotians are giving up on ever owning a home,” said Chender. “And yet, Nova Scotia doesn’t even have a Department or Minister of Housing. This crisis deserves the full attention of its own minister, not to be buried within another department like it’s an afterthought.”

One of Houston’s first actions under his new mandate was to fold housing responsibilities into the new Department of Growth and Development, despite the clear need for a dedicated Housing Department.

“Fixing the housing crisis requires a dedicated minister and this can’t be treated as a part-time job,” said Chender. “Housing is the biggest monthly expense that renters and homeowners have and Nova Scotians are being priced out at every turn. This requires focused, dedicated leadership. We deserve to know that this crisis is being addressed with the urgency it demands.”

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