CITYnews halifax: Homelessness doubled in HRM under government’s housing plan: N.S. NDP

CITYnews halifax / By Steve Gow

Nova Scotia’s NDP leader is questioning the government’s efforts on housing and preventing homelessness.

Claudia Chender says three years after announcing a $1.7 billion housing plan, the province is among the most expensive provinces for renters signing new leases.

She says Tim Houston’s PC government needs to use every tool it has available to address the high cost of housing.

Chender made her remarks during a public accounts committee meeting on Wednesday, where she said officials were unable to explain why the province’s efforts have not resulted in making housing more affordable.

In a release, the NDP says homelessness has doubled in Halifax since the government announced its housing plan.

Related:

• Halifax still among toughest markets for apartment rentals: CMHC Report
• Nova Scotia highest in Canada for average apartment rental rates
• As governments pour billions into new affordable housing, existing units in disrepair

“This government needs to increase the supply of homes people can actually afford, create more protections for renters, and focus on keeping people in the apartments and homes they can afford, not on some future date, but right now,” says Chender in the release.

“For years, the Liberals and PCs have refused to close the fixed-term lease loophole that lets landlords hike up rents, and now Halifax is one of the most expensive cities in the country.”

According to the NDP, the provincial government has already spent three-quarters of the housing plan’s budget, but rents are still going up, and only 32 of the 63,000 homes announced for special planning areas are actually affordable.

With files from The Canadian Press