Nova Scotia caps rent increases at 2% a year, halts renovictions
The newly announced measures to protect residential tenants in this province made all the difference for Tammy Wohler's client and her daughter.
The Halifax Nova Scotia Legal Aid lawyer represented the single mother fighting a sudden 30 per cent rent increase that she couldn't pay. The case scheduled to be heard at a residential tenancy board hearing Wednesday had been postponed pending the province's announcement that afternoon.
Housing Minister Chuck Porter's long-awaited plan to address Halifax Regional Municipality's housing crisis, particularly mass evictions and skyrocketing rent, immediately allows her client to stay in her home and puts an end to the hearing.
The province-wide plan includes capping residential rent increases at two per cent per year and bans so called renovictions- a widespread practice in HRM of landlords evicting tenants for renovations.
“Her and her child will not have to move,” said a relieved Wohler. “This will bide that family, and so many others in similar circumstances, some time to stay where they are at.
“I had another tenant facing a rental increase of 60 per cent, a long-term tenant. It's now on hold and that's such a relief to my clients. It's excellent news and gives everyone some breathing room.”
LAWYER: MAKE PROTECTIONS PERMANENT
But at this time it's only breathing room. The protections for renters are temporary and will expire either on Feb. 1, 2022, or until the state of emergency is lifted, whichever is sooner. Rental increase protections are retroactive to Sept. 1, 2020, meaning tenants must be credited for any extra rent money paid within the last three months.
Wohler said she's hoping the province will make the new measures permanent. At least until a more permanent solution is found to fix the affordable housing crisis in HRM. One thing for certain, the province needs to create more affordable housing, she
said. The situation has reached a breaking point with vacancy rates in the city at less than one per cent and its affordable housing stock at less than five per cent of the entire market.
Porter also announced a provincial affordable housing commission, including people from the non for profit and profit housing sector, that he said will provide the province with some solutions.
Wohler is crossing her fingers.
“The commission really needs to look at this very carefully,” said the social justice lawyer. “How can we protect tenants and yes, landlords. But at the end of the day housing is a human right, an absolute necessity.”
The commission's first set of recommendations are expected to be submitted to Porter within the next six months.
Porter wouldn't commit to making rent control or banning renovictions permanently but he didn't completely dismiss the idea. He said potential solutions would flow mostly from the commission's works.
“Our goal in the department is the health and safety and affordable accessible housing for all Nova Scotians that want it,” said Porter.
SUPPORT FOR HOMELESS
The plan also offers some support for the growing homelessness population in HRM. The province will spend $1.7 million to make up for the 30 shelter beds lost in the city due to physical distancing requirements imposed during the pandemic.
More details are expected in the coming days. Porter wouldn't commit to funding temporary accommodation immediately for a homeless population that's doubled to more than 500 in the past year and is contending with COVID community spread in the region with winter quickly coming. Homeless advocates have been pushing for the province to respond to the situation as it did in the early months of the pandemic when it helped house roughly 200 people in hotels and popup shelters.
Jeff Karabanow, co-founder of Halifax emergency shelter Out of the Cold, is one of those advocates. He said ideally the province would work quickly to create a supportive housing model for the homeless but meantime get rough 200 to 300 people in hotels where public health protocols can easily be met.
“This would be the quickest and most dignified way to house folks at least for the next five months, he said. “There is no mention of those pieces and I think that's a shame.”
‘IMPORTANT ACHIEVEMENT'
But on a broader level the Dalhousie University social work professor called Wednesday's announcement a pretty robust statement of the province's willingness to help people precariously housed.
“To be able to evoke some kind of regulation on rent control, to have people be able to live where they are living it's an important achievement.”
He said the credit goes to a community that in recent months made its voice heard.
“It speaks to a grassroots organizations, tenants themselves, NGOS, all speaking to the struggles of a large percentage of renters and what's happening in this province.
“We have a province that's finally hearing from those constituents and it shows what can be achieved when there's a political will.”
Members of the Nova Scotia Affordable Housing Commission include: Catherine Berliner, Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing (co-chair); Ren Thomas, Dalhousie University (co-chair); Chief Sidney Peters, Tawaak Housing Association; Karen Brodeur, Cooperative Housing Federation of Canada; Fred Deveaux, Cape Breton Community Housing Association; Jim Graham, Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia; Mike Dolter, Association of Municipal Administrators Nova Scotia; Jeremy Jackson, Investment Property Owners Association of Nova Scotia; Alex Halef, Urban Development Institute; Gordon Laing, Southwest Properties; Kelly Denty, Halifax Regional Municipality; Michelle MacFarlane, Service Nova Scotia and Internal Services; and Joy Knight, Department of Community Services.
Members will also be appointed from Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Department of Health and Wellness, and Department of Justice.