Head Butting Climate Emergency

Recent public pronouncements from the Premier of Nova Scotia, Tim Houston, concerning policy to reduce GHG emissions, mitigate the effect of sea level rise on the Chignecto isthmus, and a proposed energy link connecting the Atlantic provinces to hydroelectricity from Quebec and Labrador seem to prioritize political head butting over necessary and urgent joint federal/provincial action to save money and provide mitigation of climate disaster. 

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Essential Component for the 21st Century

NDP Leader Claudia Chender comments that  the Houston government didn’t do the work on behalf of Nova Scotians to come up with a carbon pricing option other than the pending tax.

“When the deadline came and went for the Houston government to present their own price on carbon and plan for how to get there and they failed to do that, this is the outcome of the government choosing partisan fights over constructive conversations," Chender said. (Campbell, 2023)

Keith Doucette of The Canadian Press comments that Houston seemed unmoved when asked whether the Isthmus of Chignecto risked being damaged by extreme weather while governments haggled over who will pay to protect it.

"We're not the ones risking it, the federal government is the one that's trying to get away from their responsibility," the premier said. (Doucette, 2023)

Sarah Smellie of the Canadian Press  reports that Premier Tim Houston says he’s lost confidence in the feasibility of a proposed energy link connecting the Atlantic provinces to hydroelectricity from Quebec and Labrador.

 

Federal Infrastructure Minister Dominic LeBlanc has previously said he hoped the Atlantic Loop could come online by 2030, but today, Houston signaled some concern without a firm financial commitment from the feds. (Smellie, 2023)

Seth Klein, in the National Observer, asks where are the campaigns urging us to switch to public transit? Where are the promo ads inviting young people to train as renewable electricity technicians and installers, building retrofitters, high-speed rail designers, community planners or electric vehicle manufacturers?

First, the good news: In the wake of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports and extreme weather events, we are witnessing a shift in the public opinion terrain. Canadians are increasingly anxious about climate change. They understand it to be an emergency and a major threat to their children and grandchildren. And importantly, a solid majority of Canadians are prepared to accept significant and bold policy responses.*

The bad news? Many Canadians are confused and ambivalent. They could be convinced to embrace speedy and transformative action, or not. A sizable chunk of the public is simply unsure of how ambitious we can be. Moreover, people’s prioritization of climate wanes when economic anxieties and affordability challenges are heightened. And so, we need leadership that seeks to link these issues and animate the ambition in us all. (Klein & Logan, 2023)

It is difficult to find a policy championed by the conservative provincial governments or the Conservative Party of Canada that defines action necessary now to mitigate the impact of GHG emissions and lays out a plan to adapt to a low carbon economy.

References

Campbell, F. (2023, June 16). Premier acknowledges carbon tax will punish Nova Scotians at the pumps, places full blame on Ottawa. SaltWire. Retrieved June 16, 2023, from https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/news/premier-acknowledges-carbon-tax-will-punish-nova-scotians-at-the-pumps-places-full-blame-on-ottawa-100865039/ 

Doucette, K. (2023, June 15). N.S. premier says Ottawa must pay entire bill to protect land link from flooding risk. CBC. Retrieved June 16, 2023, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/n-s-premier-ottawa-must-pay-protect-isthmus-from-flooding-risk-1.6877811 

Klein, S., & Logan, C. (2023, February 23). Crisis, what crisis? We need a climate emergency information agency. National Observer. Retrieved June 16, 2023, from https://www.nationalobserver.com/2023/02/23/opinion/crisis-what-crisis-we-need-climate-emergency-information-agency 

Smellie, S. (2023, June 16). Nova Scotia, Ottawa butt heads over Atlantic Loop as feds look for summer agreement | Globalnews.ca. Global News. Retrieved June 16, 2023, from https://globalnews.ca/news/9774122/nova-scotia-ottawa-butt-heads-over-atlantic-loop/ 

Housing Emergency

Recent tragic events in our Province bring our housing crisis to the forefront of our concerns. The resolution of this emergency situation calls for urgent bold action from the Provincial Government.

Housing Justice for All

The prospect of another winter of people living in tents should be a serious incentive to provide housing relief and avoid increasing the costs of healthcare and reduction of access to health resources that neglect of these needs will incur.

HRM Parks and Tent Housing

Sam Austin, HRM councillor, asks how can we fix a problem though when there seems to be little interest on the other side of the table? 

The Premier says “go like hell” on healthcare, and “it’ll cost what it’ll cost” on the Tantallon fire, but when it comes to homelessness there is no urgency, little interest, and little commitment, even as the crisis on our streets gets worse. The only thing on housing that the PCs seem interested in is ensuring developer’s get fast approvals for housing that is needed, but that also won’t help anyone at the bottom of the income spectrum. The people who the Province abandoned on June 1 won’t be housed in market housing. The stark difference between what the Premier actually considers a crisis and how homelessness is being handled is striking. (Austin, 2023)

Skye Bryden-Blom of Global News reports on university students who were forced out of  a Halifax apartment and how they  worry about steep housing costs. Daria Oanes is one of many students whose fixed-term lease is not being renegotiated.

“We pay to go to school here,” Oanes says. “So we have to be here, we have to find a place to live.” (Bryden, 2023)

Service Nova Scotia, the department which oversees the Residential Tenancies Act, says it’s unfortunate landlords are doing this as it’s not the purpose of the fixed-term leases, which are designed for tenants who are staying short-term.

The executive director of the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia, Michael Kabalen, says the only real way to fix the problem is more housing.

“The only real solution to the housing crisis is more housing, as quickly as possible, and in particular meaningful investments in forever affordable housing by governments, either through grants and loans to not-for-profit developers or by building it themselves as a public good.” (Bryden, 2023)

Michael Gorman of CBC News reports that 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. (Gorman, 2023)

The protesters at a Halifax housing rally, as reported by Zane Woodford, in the Halifax Examiner called for more non-market homes, no fixed-term leases, real rent control. Sam Krawec, a co-organizer of the rally, read an open letter to Premier Tim Houston’s PC government. Krawec called on the government to immediately build more non-market housing, create permanent rent control with a 3% cap, and abolish fixed-term leases.

“Landlords have been using fixed-term leases as a loophole to get out of their responsibilities towards tenants, avoid the rent cap, and sidestep the eviction process,”

“So long as this loophole exists, tenant rights will be continually under threat and profit-driven landlords will continue to abuse their power.” (Woodford, 2023)

Christine Saulnier, director of the Nova Scotia chapter of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, told the crowd that weak protections for tenants during the housing crisis means landlords are exploiting tenants.

“The lack of protection ensures that tenants are beholden to landlords. It leaves the power in their hands and leaves tenants in stress because they ultimately do not know what will happen to their housing at any time,” 

“We have successive governments who have been unwilling to rebalance the power relationship. Instead we hear explicitly from Premier Houston that he needs to balance people’s right to housing with a landlord’s ability to profit.” (Woodford, 2023)

Saulnier said Nova Scotia needs 50,000 units of non-market housing to meet demand.

Rebalance the power relationship

“We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have successive government dropping the ball,”  “It is not surprising or shocking that we are here in this crisis. We told them so. We know what the solutions are and we’ve known them for decades.” (Woodford, 2023)

The call for action to create more non-market homes, eliminate fixed-term leases, and initiate real rent control is a necessary emergency response by the government to the current situation where the right of people to suitable housing is imposing life diminishing stress. Adequate housing is one of the social determinants of health. When people cannot find housing, the health care system experiences additional demand that negatively impacts cost and availability for all Nova Scotians.

References

Austin, S. (2023, June 8). Shelter Closure. Sam Austin. Retrieved June 8, 2023, from https://samaustin.ca/shelter-closure/ 

Bryden, S. (2023, March 17). University students forced out of Halifax apartment worry about steep housing costs - Halifax | Globalnews.ca. Global News. Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://globalnews.ca/news/9560711/dalhousie-students-renters-halifax-fixed-rate-loophole/ 

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 

Woodford, Z. (2023, April 5). Halifax housing rally calls for more non-market homes, no fixed-term leases, real rent control. Halifax Examiner. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/housing/priced-out/halifax-housing-rally-calls-for-more-non-market-homes-no-fixed-term-leases-real-rent-control/ 

Windfall and Social Need

Stephen Kimber reports on the response of NDP leader Claudia Chender to Premier Tim Houston’s government unaccountable spending of its unexpected revenue.

Windfall Money has needs to fill

Nova Scotia, as the auditor general pointed out, is the only jurisdiction in the country where such “extra spending is approved solely by the government of the day and is never required to return to the House of Assembly for review, vote, or approval.”

What should have happened to that windfall? That wasn’t even discussed in the latest session.

According to NDP leader Chender, the government’s unaccountable spending of its unexpected revenue “utterly fails to address the cost of living, utterly fails to address the housing crisis that we have before us, the increasing doctor waitlist, increasing surgical waitlist… We have a massive amount of money going out the door and we don’t really have anything to show for it.” (Kimber, n.d.)

The four areas identified by NDP leader Chender as needing attention in Nova Scotia are high on the priority list of many citizens. The expectation of many voters is that government funds need to be utilized to address these crises. Perhaps voters need to ascertain if an ideological distaste for government action in these areas is causing unnecessary stress and suffering for our population.

References

Kimber, S. (n.d.). Halifax Examiner Article. Stephen Kimber. Retrieved April 24, 2023, from https://stephenkimber.com/tim-houstons-idea-of-accountability-then-and-now/ 

Health Homes and Climate

The relationships between health services, housing needs, and the climate crisis are many. The tension between market based action and government control in these areas compels us to carefully analyze trends and progress.

Health and Housing in Climate Crisis

The Ottawa Citizen reports on privatization of orthopedic surgery that may be impacting staffing for hospital health care. Elizabeth Payne reports:

“We are not able to provide the service we want for oncology patients because nurses are working in a higher paid environment,” said the unnamed source. “My view is that this is confirming the concerns that we are limited in terms of the service we can provide in the public system because nurses are obviously being poached by this private clinic.” (Payne, 2023)

Nicole Munro, at Saltwire, contributes an article on West End Mall redevelopment in Halifax.

By the time the master plan is finished, Coun. Shawn Cleary (Halifax West Armdale) said, the inclusionary zoning bylaw should be in place at about the same time, giving HRM the power to ensure there is a percentage of affordable units included.

While Cleary suspects most of the units will be market-based rents, he said the inclusionary zoning bylaw would allow some affordable units.

“We’ll have the power to actually say, ‘No, no, you don’t have a choice. You’re going to have this per cent of those units that have to be affordable.’” (Halifax's West End Mall Redevelopment Will Go on Despite Pushback, Councillor Says, 2023)

Matt McGrath, environment correspondent for BBC News, contributes an article about fossil fuel emissions falling in worldwide electricity generation.

One significant player impacting the overall trend is China. Around 50% of the global addition of wind power came from China and about 40% of the world's new solar came from from the country that's also the world's biggest use of coal power.

"There is a chance that at the rate that China is building wind and solar and all types of clean generation, that they achieve that peak in coal generation earlier than 2025, which would be significant," said Mr Jones.

Energy experts acknowledge that curbing fossil fuels in power generation could well be a "turning point", but much more remains to be done. (McGrath, 2023)

We monitor important trends as we ponder the best economic approach to address these serious concerns that impact the common good.

References

Halifax's West End Mall redevelopment will go on despite pushback, councillor says. (2023, April 12). SaltWire. Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/business/halifaxs-west-end-mall-redevelopment-will-go-on-despite-pushback-councillor-says-100843479/ 

McGrath, M. (2023, April 11). Climate change: Fossil fuel emissions from electricity set to fall - report. BBC. Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-65240094 

Payne, E. (2023, March 21). Surgeries at for-profit orthopedic clinic already impacting hospital staffing, some insiders say. Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://ottawacitizen.com/news/surgeries-at-for-profit-orthopedic-clinic-already-impacting-hospital-staffing-some-insiders-say 

Trend to Reduce Help with Affordable Housing

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

Date	Media Report
2022, July 13	New Lending Program Supports Affordable Housing. Government of Nova Scotia.
2022, November 15	Correspondence from Councillor Mason to Minister Lohr Regarding Housing
2022, November 30	Dalhousie Legal Aid Sees Caseload Balloon As Halifax's Housing Crisis Deepens
2023, January 25	N.S. government to consider proposal that includes new public housing.
2023, April 5	N.S. government says it's not planning to build new public housing, but will upgrade existing buildings.

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)

Need for affordable public housing

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