Nova Scotians need affordable homes, real rent control to address housing crisis

HALIFAX– Today, Official Opposition Leader Claudia Chender raised questions about the Houston government’s housing record.

Last March, Minister Colton LeBlanc admitted that half of the 16,200 new affordable homes the Houston government claimed to have created were not new homes at all but were rent supplements. Following questions from Chender, Government officials at today’s Public Accounts Committee were unable to explain why they’re lumping these together when Nova Scotians deserve to understand how many affordable homes are actually being created.

“The Houston government has said over and over again that increasing supply will help with affordability but they have to be honest with people about how many new homes are being created. Fudging the numbers or misrepresenting the situation doesn’t solve the problem Nova Scotians are up against,” said Chender. “Rent supplements, while needed right now, only provide temporary relief. Nova Scotians need more truly affordable homes to be built so that they can contribute to a brighter future in our province.”

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has said Nova Scotia needs to double housing starts over the next decade to ensure affordable homes are available across the province. The housing target set in the Houston government’s 5-year housing plan is more than 4,000 units short of this goal, with no clarity on how many of these will be non-market, truly affordable homes.

“Today, government officials said they are open to all suggestions to improve housing affordability, but Tim Houston refuses to take action to create real rent control and close the fixed-term lease loophole. Policy changes like these would help everyone and don’t cost the government money,” said Chender. “Instead of increasing the number of people on rent supplements year after year, closing the fixed-term lease loophole would help keep rents affordable and allow more people to get by on their own.”