By Claudia Chender
In his letter (Macdonald Notebook, May 19), Layton Dorey criticized the Nova Scotia NDP plan to make housing more affordable for Nova Scotians. While I can appreciate Mr. Dorey’s perspective, it fundamentally misunderstands the NDP’s position.
(Dorey letter, click here to read it)
We know that we must rapidly increase housing supply while prioritizing affordability. Given the one per cent vacancy and skyrocketing rental costs, we also need to do everything we can to help people stay in their homes. Unfortunately, what the Houston government, and the Liberals before them, have done is to implement a rent cap that has led to the situation we’re in now, with rents still rising far beyond five per cent because of loopholes like fixed-term leases.
This is an issue that’s impacting everyone, from seniors with fixed incomes to young professionals and families who are struggling to save for their first home. Renters make up more than 30 per cent of households in Nova Scotia, and that number is bound to increase as home ownership becomes more unaffordable. We want everyone to be able to afford their home.
Mr. Dorey wrote of bringing fairness to both renters and landlords. New Democrats have been fighting for these kinds of rental regulations for years. In 2018, we tabled the Rental Fairness and Affordability Act, which lays out a clear opportunity for renters and landlords to have a more predictable system that works for everyone.
Rather than the inflexible rent cap we have now, this legislation would set rent increases based on various factors such as the consumer price index. It would also allow landlords to apply to raise the rent above that annual cap in cases where there are large increases in taxes or utility costs, or if the landlord invests significantly in upgrading the unit. These kinds of rent controls once existed here, and still do in many jurisdictions across the country.
Our legislation was first tabled almost six years ago, and Nova Scotians are still waiting for a plan to ensure fairness in the rental market.
After eight years of the Liberals and three years of the Houston government, we have more people struggling to afford housing than ever before. We need regulations that work for everyone, because everyone deserves a home they can afford.
Nova Scotia NDP leader Claudia Chender says her party is ready for an election, and promises to work for reforms in housing and health care. Avery Mullen/The Notebook
