Official Opposition Leader Claudia Chender takes on role as Housing Critic

HALIFAX —On Tuesday, NSNDP Leader Claudia Chender announced she will take on the role of NDP Housing Critic and use every opportunity to demand accountability and action from the Houston government.

“Since Tim Houston became premier, Halifax is now more expensive than Toronto according to Stats Can data,” said Chender. “And it’s not just Halifax. In Annapolis, people are living in tents as the weather gets colder. On the South Shore and across the Valley, prices continue to rise. We’re hearing about bidding wars in Yarmouth for apartments. Landlords are advertising their spaces without a price, and prospective renters have to compete with higher and higher offers to even get a chance at an apartment. Five years ago, this was unheard of.”

New Democrats have been calling on the government to appoint a minister solely responsible for housing for months. During the last cabinet shuffle, Premier Houston finally named a Minister, but he has no Department of Housing to do the work and had no opinion on the fixed-term lease policy—one of the biggest issues facing renters –when asked last week by media.

The Houston government promised a Student Housing Strategy and experts have recommended a Residential Tenancy Enforcement Unit so renters have somewhere to turn for help but so far, neither has been introduced.

“If people can’t afford housing, they won’t stay in this province. It’s as simple as that,” said Chender. “Nova Scotians need real rent control tied to the unit– not the tenant, so landlords don’t have a financial incentive to raise prices and force people to move. We need a student housing strategy that helps young, talented people afford to live and stay in our province. People need a Residential Tenancy Enforcement Unit so help is a phone call away when they need it.”

“Renters deserve so much better than broken promises and PR stunts from this government; they deserve real protections from rent hikes and abuses.”

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