Beck unveils plan to tackle housing crisis, protect renters & save families money
For immediate release: September 10, 2024
Beck unveils plan to tackle housing crisis, protect renters & save families money
Landlord and Tenant Rent Protection Act, opening 3,000 vacant housing units
Today, Saskatchewan NDP Leader Carla Beck unveiled her plan to tackle the housing crisis and make life more affordable.
“I’ve heard from many seniors on fixed incomes who are beyond stressed dealing with the rising cost of rent. Some are seeing their rents increase higher than their entire monthly earnings and are now being forced to move out of their homes,” said Beck.
“We’ve also heard loud and clear that the Sask. Party’s end to direct rent payments for social service clients have led to a series of missed payments, evictions, and increased homelessness. This is about making sure that we have predictability and stability in our rental market for property owners and renters alike.”
Rents in Saskatchewan are soaring faster than anywhere else in Canada, far outpacing inflation. Many working families and seniors who have never struggled before are no longer able to keep up.
The Saskatchewan NDP will introduce a Landlord and Tenant Rent Protection Act, which will protect tenants from excessive and unreasonable rent increases and protect landlords by bringing back the option for direct payment for social service clients that miss a payment, in order to reduce late or missed rental payments. The Act will be built with tenants, landlords and housing organizations to ensure predictability in the rental market.
The Saskatchewan NDP will also make all vacant provincial housing units available for families within four years by reversing the Sask. Party’s $40 million cut to the renovation budget, with 500 units targeted to be ready for occupancy in the first year.
This action will drive down the cost of rent by increasing the supply of rental units in the market and give more families an opportunity to have a home of their own.
The Sask. Party is currently letting nearly 3,000 provincial housing units sit empty, driving up housing costs and costing taxpayers close to $200 million in lost rent and utility expenses over the past decade.
Beck kicked off her campaign for change earlier this month with a guarantee to not raise taxes and will soon release a fully-costed platform that balances the budget in her first term.
