Supporters of action to build more non-market homes, end fixed-term leases, and initiate real rent control gathered at the NS Legislature to advocate for housing justice.
Rally to Advocate for Housing Justice for all
In July of 2022, the Government of Nova Scotia issued a press release about a new lending program to support affordable housing. The challenge to reduce the suffering of the homeless in our community requires action that creates homes for people in the most expeditious way. The market is not likely to be able to provide units quickly enough that are deeply affordable.
“We heard about some of the challenges non-profits face when they see an opportunity to invest in affordable housing, and this new lending program will help preserve and increase affordable housing stock for people and families in need,” said Minister Lohr. “We have seen rental properties purchased by investors and heard the stories of rents being increased out of reach for existing tenants. This program not only prevents further gentrification and loss of affordable housing but also ensures tenants can continue to live in their homes.” (New Lending Program Supports Affordable Housing, 2022)
Unfortunately media reports since July 2022 point to a decreasing response by government to the need to reduce the suffering of the homeless.
Timeline of Media Reports
Halifax Councillor Waye Mason has expressed that in this time of likely global housing price collapse, high interest rates, and recession we are in need of the government to help preserve our labour force by funding affordable housing construction. His concerns have been expressed in a letter to Nova Scotia Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister, John Lohr.
Finally and most importantly, you are responsible for affordable housing construction in Nova Scotia. In the election, Premier Houston promised to deliver the Affordable Housing Commission report. That report talks extensively about the need for social or below-market housing. I say again to you Minister, the market will not produce below-market housing.
You need to have a massive plan to build affordable housing, and you needed it a year ago. With the coming global housing price collapse, high-interest rates and recession, there has never been a better time for the government to help preserve our labour force by funding affordable housing construction. (Mason, 2022)
Dalhousie Legal Aid believes three major things must happen to protect renters in Nova Scotia.
investment in more public and non-profit housing, active enforcement of the law regarding residential tenancies, and some form of permanent rent cap. (Montague, 2022)
Deputy housing minister Paul Lafleche told members of the legislature's public accounts committee that the level of need for market rate housing and affordable units is such that all options must be considered.
That could mean the provincial government building new affordable housing stock for the first time in years.
"We probably need some new public housing," Lafleche told the MLAs.
For years, the housing file has suffered from a lack of consistent people in leadership roles and being shuffled between government departments, Lafleche said.
Making housing the responsibility of a single provincewide agency, which recently happened, should help address long-standing needs that have gone unaddressed by previous governments, he said.
More than 6,500 N.S. households are waiting for public housing. Why are so many units still empty?
Non-profits have 'a lot of hope' after N.S. government puts more money into affordable housing
But the deputy minister also cautioned that no single approach is going to solve the issue and fixes will not come quickly.
Other options the cabinet will be asked to consider include further partnerships with the private sector, buying new buildings to be repurposed, and assessing what existing provincial stock can get by with renovations and what situations would require new builds. (Gorman, 2023)
The Nova Scotia government has no plans to add to its public housing stock, Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister John Lohr confirmed to members of the legislature.
Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister John Lohr made the comment during debate on his department's budget.
"We feel that, as government, we need to do a much better job managing what we have," he said later in an interview at Province House in Halifax.
Lohr's deputy minister speculated earlier this year that the age of existing stock and cost and difficulty of upgrading it could lead the government to build new public housing for the first time in close to 30 years.
But Lohr said the government will instead spend $50 million in the next four years to upgrade existing stock, a plan that will affect about 75 per cent of the province's 11,000 public housing units.
The government is also using the spring budget to add 1,000 rent supplements and funding for programs that help people remain in their homes, said Lohr.
"We've made very significant investments in those."
Even with those initiatives, however, there are 4,790 people waiting for a spot in public housing and the average wait time is a little more than two years. (Gorman, 2023)
With thousands of Nova Scotia people waiting for justice in housing through access to public deeply affordable accommodation, the trend for action by the Nova Scotia government seems to be ensuring the suffering continues for the least advantaged in our community.
References
Gorman, M. (2023, January 25). N.S. government to consider proposal that includes new public housing. CBC. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/affordable-housing-government-private-sector-development-1.6726190
Gorman, M. (2023, April 5). N.S. government says it's not planning to build new public housing, but will upgrade existing buildings. CBC. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/public-housing-john-lohr-affordable-1.6801864
Mason, W. (2022, November 15). Correspondence from Councillor Mason to Minister Lohr Regarding Housing. Waye Mason, Councillor. Retrieved November 15, 2022, from https://wayemason.ca/2022/11/15/correspondence-from-councillor-mason-to-minister-lohr-regarding-housing/
Montague, D. (2022, November 30). Dalhousie Legal Aid Sees Caseload Balloon As Halifax's Housing Crisis Deepens. Huddle.Today. Retrieved November 30, 2022, from https://huddle.today/2022/11/29/dalhousie-legal-aid-sees-caseload-balloon-as-halifaxs-housing-crisis-deepens/
New Lending Program Supports Affordable Housing. (2022, July 13). Government of Nova Scotia. Retrieved November 16, 2022, from https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20220713002
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