No relief for struggling renters until at least 2020

NDP wants province to reinstate supplement for vulnerable people

When the province stopped taking new applicants for its rental supplement program earlier this year, government ministers told Saskatchewan residents that money would be replaced by a federal program.

But now that federal money won’t be available until at least 2020.

On July 1, the province suspended new applicants to its Saskatchewan Rental Housing Supplement, a move that was announced in April’s budget.

At the time, Social Services Minister Paul Merriman said Saskatchewan had a high vacancy rate in the major cities and rents were coming down, despite Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation data forecasting rents would go up.

According to the province, a new federal program would be used to replace the rental supplement, which helped eligible families and individuals pay for housing by providing monthly payouts based on a number of different factors.

“Throughout 2018-19, the province, through the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation (SHC), will work closely with the federal government and its provincial/territorial partners to ensure that the new National Housing Strategy benefits Saskatchewan people in housing need,” read a press release from the province at budget time.

According to the federal government, the Canada Housing Benefit — money provided directly to families and individuals in need — is set to be launched in 2020.

This week, Merriman admitted the federal program coming online was “one of the main reasons” for grandfathering out the rental supplement, but added there remains a surplus in social housing units available.

In September, the vacancy rate in Regina for all of Saskatchewan Housing Corporation’s units was 15.6 per cent. For Saskatoon, the vacancy rate was 12.4 per cent.

“We want to be able to fill up those Sask Housing units if people are on the supplement because it’s very hard to justify when we have taxpayer dollars supplementing people with Sask. Housing, and we’re also supplementing on the other side for the private sector,” he said.

Merriman said some Sask Housing units may be reclassified to allow those most in need to access them.

For private apartments, the vacancy rate in Saskatchewan cities was 9.3 per cent, according to the CMHC’S most-recent rental outlook, while the average twobedroom apartment cost $1,051 per month.

In Regina, the vacancy rate was seven per cent and a two-bedroom rented for $1,116. Things were slightly better in Saskatoon. with a 9.3 per cent vacancy rate and $1,051 cost for a two-bedroom. CMHC’S 2018 outlook is to be released on Nov. 28.

NDP Social Services critic Nicole Rancourt continued to call on the province to the reinstate the rental housing supplement.

“It’s really irresponsible for the minister to cut an essential program for people who are in the most vulnerable, families, in our province, without having a program available immediately. We know the costs of living have been increasing and housing advocates have indicated this is going to simply make individuals and families homeless, with the cuts to this program,” she said.

When first announced, the cuts were met with personal stories about the program’s effectiveness and protests.