Singh: Renters must be a priority in the upcoming budget

HALIFAX — On Monday, Canada’s NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and the NDP candidate for Halifax, Lisa Roberts, called for a fund to protect renters in the next budget following a meeting with non-profit housing providers. This fund would help not-for-profit organizations buy affordable housing when it’s up for sale, allowing them to keep it affordable for renters.

While Justin Trudeau has been in power, rent has doubled across the country and a staggering eleven affordable homes are lost for every one affordable home that gets built. Without this fund, affordable housing will continue to be purchased by wealthy, corporate landlords who buy up apartment buildings and jack up the prices for the renters that live there.

“Renters here in Halifax are worrying about being renovicted or getting pushed out of their home after their fixed-term leases are over. More and more often giant, corporate housing profiteers are buying up affordable buildings and raising the rent for the people who live there,” said Singh. “We can’t make our communities affordable for renters if we don’t protect the affordable homes we already have. But while both Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre were in government they let rich developers turn affordable homes into luxury apartments. Both Conservatives and Liberals have let their big developer friends get rich at Canadian renters’ expense. New Democrats know people deserve better.”

The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is now almost $2000 a month in Halifax. Instead of the Trudeau government investing to protecting housing for renters, Halifax lost 25 per cent of its affordable housing stock since the Liberals have been in power — that’s 8140 homes that are no longer affordable. And the issue continues to get worse. Earlier this winter, an entire apartment building in Dartmouth was renovicted.

“Renters are already struggling with growing costs and very low vacancy rates. People need a government committed to protecting renters,” said Roberts. “Urgent and extensive investment in nonmarket housing will ensure that public dollars contribute to increased affordability.

“New Democrats want to give people options and help make our communities more affordable. We’re asking the federal government to protect renters by saving more existing affordable homes with a dedicated fund, and we want to see it happen in the next budget.”