Houston government leaving federal housing money on the table, failing to protect renters

HALIFAX –The Houston Conservatives are leaving millions of dollars in federal housing funds on the table and have yet to endorse the federal Renters’ Bill of Rights.

“Nova Scotia renters are finding it harder and harder to afford their homes and this government is failing to improve protections or secure much-needed federal funding while our province is in a housing crisis,” said NSNDP Leader Claudia Chender. “The more than 300,000 renters across this province want their government to fight for their rights and needs, not ignore an opportunity for much-needed funding.”

Nova Scotia would be entitled to $170.9 million in federal infrastructure funding under the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund and is the only province in Atlantic Canada that doesn’t have an agreement in place to access these funds.

Rental housing affordability is an ongoing concern in Nova Scotia. Our province has the highest rent cap in all of Canada at 5 per cent. And despite the cap, CMHC reported that new tenants saw rents increase an average of 28 per cent last year.

“This government is undermining renter protections by speeding up eviction timelines, failing to enact real rent control, and refusing to establish a residential tenancies compliance and enforcement unit,” said NSNDP Housing Critic Suzy Hansen. “Given the Houston government’s track record on renters’ rights, we are concerned that they are forgoing this federal funding because they do not believe that protecting the rights of renters is a priority.”

Today’s Community Services Committee discussed key issues facing renters in Nova Scotia, including recent changes that make it easier to evict tenants and the fixed-term lease loophole that remains in place.

-30-