Social housing tenants safe from eviction

With residents across the province worried they could be tossed out of Saskatchewan Housing Corporation units if their building is sold, the government says that will never be the case.

The SHC regularly reviews its stock of housing in the province and weighs it against building occupancy.

On Friday, Social Services Minister Tina Beaudry-Mellor said if 50 per cent or more of an apartment building’s units are chronically vacant, the province will consider selling the building. Municipal housing authorities have the first right of refusal to purchase the building, but if there is no interest there, it can go on the public market following an appraisal.

Earlier this week, Lemberg resident Fred Dulmage, who lives next to an SHC building, raised alarms about what a sale of that building could mean for tenants.

On Wednesday, Beaudry-Mellor said: “We’re far away from any conversations about how tenants may be affected at this time.”

But the government later clarified that any person living in an SHC building cannot be evicted if the building is purchased by a third party and their rent cannot be increased. Those rules would stay in place for as long as the tenant is qualified to live in an SHC unit.

On Friday, Dulmage said it’s tough to believe what the government says, after hearing different stories.

Sale agreements, according to the government, also stipulate that no building that’s occupied or can be occupied can be torn down by a new owner.

Asked what’s to stop a new owner from allowing a building to fall into disrepair so it could be torn down, Beaudry-Mellor said: “We are not demolishing any units that have people in them and I don’t see that happening with any of them taken over by private individuals.”

NDP housing critic Ryan Meili said keeping residents at current rent levels should be a given if buildings are sold, but noted that selling these units means there’s no social housing in some small communities for anyone else who might need that option down the road.

He said he has also heard many buildings under SHC control are making money and doesn’t see a reason to close them.

“If that’s the case, what’s the impetus to close them?” he said. “Is it just to make a few bucks?”