Cruel budget move weakens system

As of July 1, 2018, the Saskatchewan Rental Housing Supplement (SRHS) will not be taking new applications.

The SRHS is a monthly payment that assists low income families and persons with disabilities with rental costs. Depending on the community, it provides benefits from $186 to $256 for individuals and $184 to $305 for a family with two children. Without the supplement, a single person receiving the Saskatchewan Assured Income for Disability is left with only $459 for rent in Regina and as little as $326 in many other areas. A family with two children is left with $711 for rent in Regina and as little as $429 elsewhere.

There had been 11 announced cuts to income assistance programs in the 2016 and 2017 budgets, but this is the deepest cut yet. It will take $5 million out of low income households in Saskatchewan. Based on the Ministry of Social Services’ own formula, it will take away 30 per cent of rental allowance income for those affected. They will soon be unable to even get the supplement back. The rationale given for this cut has been that vacancy rates have risen and therefore rents will be more affordable.

The reality is that rents have not been going down and they would have to drop drastically to be affordable for those unable to access the supplement.

This was a cruel budget decision that further weakens a woefully inadequate budget system.

Peter Gilmer,

Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry