Housing Crisis, Renovictions, and Rent Supplements - QP
CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Mr. Speaker, rents have risen by more than 9 per cent in Halifax this year - the fastest pace on record. Meanwhile, we have a rent cap, which the government just extended. How could this happen? According to virtually everyone working on this issue, even staff at Residential Tenancies, the unfettered and legal use of fixed-term leases is a huge source of housing insecurity and skyrocketing rents. Thousands of Nova Scotians are at risk of losing their homes if the government doesn't act.
I would like to ask the Premier « » : Why does he continue to ignore renters in this province?
THE PREMIER « » : I assure the member and all Nova Scotians that nobody is ignoring renters in this province. I am proud of the work that the minister is doing on the rent cap situation. Obviously, that's been extended for two more years to offer some protection to renters. Everybody is concerned about affordability in general. We are concerned about making sure people have adequate housing. Nobody is ignoring the issue.
We are working hard on the rental situation. We are working hard to build supply. We know the solution to a housing crisis is more housing supply, and we are focused on that. We are also trying to protect renters as best as we can.
CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : It isn't working, Mr. Speaker. As rents are rising at an accelerated pace across the province, this government is undermining its own efforts to provide relief to the people who are most at risk of losing their housing. Yesterday, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing said about his slashing of the rent supplement program, ". . . we see the demand for rent supps increasing, and we were realizing in the late Fall of last year that we were going to run out of money, frankly."
This government had $1.4 billion in unexpected revenue. They have not run out of money. They have chosen not to spend it on something vital to peoples' health: housing. Will the Premier acknowledge that for people to be healthy, they need to be housed?
THE PREMIER « » : The situation around rent supplements - I know there has been a lot of discussion about that. There are more rent supplements being offered in this province than ever before. We added a thousand - we added more money to that budget for sure and we'll continue to add money to that budget.
There was a policy change to prioritize, to make sure we were always looking for those most in need. We should always do that as a government. Those most in need should be first in the line. That's what was happening with the rent supplement program. I absolutely assure you there is more money going into rent supplements than there was at any point in the history of this province.
CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : There's not enough money; there's more than enough money. It's about how you spend the money and how you prioritize it - and this government is doing it wrong. The housing crisis continues to worsen and more and more Nova Scotians from all walks of life are calling out to this government for a home they can afford.
This government has failed to protect people from massive rent hikes and arbitrary evictions. It has not presented a path to ending homelessness, has gutted its rent supplement program, and refuses to build more desperately needed public and non-market housing. Why does the Premier continue to leave people across this province without a home they can afford?
THE PREMIER « » : I completely disagree with the member. I know the member has a hard time seeing anything positive in this province. I see a lot positive in this province. I know there is a lot of work to be done, but for the member to say that there are no investments in Nova Scotians, I completely disagree. The member is . . . (Interruption)
THE SPEAKER « » : Order, please. The honourable Premier has the floor.
THE PREMIER « » : There are investments in housing. There are investments in rent supplements. There are investments through and across the spectrum. We do what we can to help Nova Scotians. We always want to do more. We always want to do more, but to say we are doing nothing is an absolute falsehood, and should not be allowed to stand.