Housing project Scrapped - QP
CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : The Executive Panel on Housing in Halifax Regional Municipality has just been extended, and for thousands of Nova Scotians struggling to find an affordable place to live, it's unclear whom the housing created by this panel is actually helping. In the Southdale-Mount Hope development, people were already supposed to be living in affordable units, partially subsidized with a no-strings-attached forgivable loan by this government to the developer. Not only are these not available for occupancy, but we recently found out the plan had been scrapped. The developer doesn't think that it's financially viable.
The government isn't planning to produce the thousands of units we need, and the few that have been announced are disappearing. Where does the Premier think that affordable housing is going to come from?
THE PREMIER « » : This is a serious issue, the housing crisis that we're experiencing in Nova Scotia. It's a national issue. We see that. We're focused on more housing, faster. That's been our focus. I know that the federal government is kind of catching on to that "more, faster" thing as well. We will invest in housing. The answer to the question is we need housing across the spectrum. We need student housing. That's why we're investing in housing at Nova Scotia Community College campuses for the first time in a generation, or probably ever. That's why we're investing in affordable housing. That's why we did the first investments in 20 or 30 years in affordable housing. We need housing across the spectrum. The answer to the housing crisis is more housing.
CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : The construction of new units in this province across the spectrum is not meeting the need - not even close. This government's own numbers show that Nova Scotia will need over 70,000 new homes by 2027. The 40,000 units in the government's plan include things like rent supplements and long-term care beds. These are not affordable homes. The Construction Association of Nova Scotia has said that to meet our targets, the province would have to build an unprecedented 16,000 units a year, which is well above the average. The units that are getting built are out of reach for Nova Scotian families and young professionals, and impossibly out of reach for those in core housing need. We are not on a path to building our way out of this crisis. Can the Premier tell us how we're going to meet those targets?
THE PREMIER « » : It's absolutely a challenge. There's no question. We're not the only ones experiencing this challenge, but we are leading the way in meeting the challenge and addressing the challenge. Housing starts are up. We know there's work to be done. But there are also challenges in the supply chain, challenges in labour. That's why we've come in with programs like the MOST program, the More Opportunities for Skilled Trades program, to encourage young people to get into the skilled trades and to encourage young, skilled tradespeople to come here and help us build this province.
There are many moving parts to the solution, and we're focused on all of them. All we need is a few other Nova Scotians to get on board and put some positive messages behind the MOST program and behind what's possible. It would be nice to see the negative NDP turn the page and get a little positive at some point.
CLAUDIA CHENDER « » : Here's a positive message: Get people housed. Under this government, the price of housing has skyrocketed, rental costs have soared, and mortgage rates have more than doubled. It's a national problem, but it's a provincial problem, and it's under this Premier's watch.
Vacancy is at an all-time low. Our formerly relatively low housing costs were a key driver in the massive increase in interprovincial migration we've seen in the past few years - the one the Premier likes to brag is because of him. In the most recent year, that number hasn't just slowed; it's flat, in no small part because people can't afford to start a life here.
We need young tradespeople. We need health care workers and teachers, but this government's policies and lack of action on affordable housing is driving them away. When will the Premier get housing built that everyday families can afford?
THE PREMIER « » : If I could build houses, I'd do that too, for sure. We support those who do, through the MOST program, through working with Nova Scotians. We know there's a lot of housing to be built in this province. That's why we've taken some very aggressive steps on working with municipalities around bylaws. That's why we've taken some aggressive steps on trying to work with developers and not-for-profits and those who build.
This province is growing and it's not because of me. It's growing because it's a wonderful province to live in. There is a lot good happening in this province. You might not hear about it in this Chamber, Speaker, but I assure you, this is a wonderful province. We have our challenges, but as a government, we accept them. There are positive things, and some day I wait for the time that the NDP will recognize some of the positive in this province.