Debate over RENT CONTROLS...Is it coming to Alberta?
Debate continues over possibility of Saskatchewan rent control program
Only agreement between groups is province needs more affordable and social housing
Reported By Patrick Book
Posted March 8, 2011 - 8:40pm
The debate is raging over the NDP's idea to reinstate a rent control program in Saskatchewan.
People trying to rent homes in Regina and Saskatoon know full well how hard it is with rents higher than ever and vacancy rates in the one per cent range. Politicians are battling over the merits of rent control in the legislature as the opposition moves to make it a major campaign issue this election year.
Landlord Jason Hall admits there are people in need of low-income housing that are suffering right now, but even though rents having doubled for some tenants in recent years, he insists landlords are just trying to make ends meet and combat rising costs.
"Unless someone waves a magic wand in this province and stops the rising price of gas, the price of lumber, steel, of labour, it just doesn't make sense that a landlord would stop charging the rent he has to charge just to float the boat."
He agrees the province needs to get more involved in affordable and social housing, but he doesn't see rent control as a viable option. He believes there are existing landlords that want to build more housing, as well as others from outside the province that would be eager to get into the market. He stresses, however, it's difficult for them to get financing to buy a property and get it up to shape or build a new one for rental.
The Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry's Peter Gilmer is in favour of rent control, insisting that people need to be protected from what have become continually-rising rents in Saskatchewan.
"So we don't find ourselves in a circumstance like we've seen in the last three or four years where rents have in some cases doubled or gone up by several hundreds of dollars," he told News Talk Radio's John Gormley Live Tuesday. He stresses there are people in Regina specifically that are paying up to and above 70 per cent of their total income on housing costs alone.
While a cap would protect people in the short term, Gilmer also believes it works in the long-term as well. He notes that rent control is in place in five other provinces across Canada and contends that affordable and social housing construction has increased in Manitoba under a control program.
In fact, that's the only item both agree on: that the province needs to build more affordable and social housing. They both say that's where the immediate need lies.
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Only agreement between groups is province needs more affordable and social housing
Reported By Patrick Book
Posted March 8, 2011 - 8:40pm
The debate is raging over the NDP's idea to reinstate a rent control program in Saskatchewan.
People trying to rent homes in Regina and Saskatoon know full well how hard it is with rents higher than ever and vacancy rates in the one per cent range. Politicians are battling over the merits of rent control in the legislature as the opposition moves to make it a major campaign issue this election year.
Landlord Jason Hall admits there are people in need of low-income housing that are suffering right now, but even though rents having doubled for some tenants in recent years, he insists landlords are just trying to make ends meet and combat rising costs.
"Unless someone waves a magic wand in this province and stops the rising price of gas, the price of lumber, steel, of labour, it just doesn't make sense that a landlord would stop charging the rent he has to charge just to float the boat."
He agrees the province needs to get more involved in affordable and social housing, but he doesn't see rent control as a viable option. He believes there are existing landlords that want to build more housing, as well as others from outside the province that would be eager to get into the market. He stresses, however, it's difficult for them to get financing to buy a property and get it up to shape or build a new one for rental.
The Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry's Peter Gilmer is in favour of rent control, insisting that people need to be protected from what have become continually-rising rents in Saskatchewan.
"So we don't find ourselves in a circumstance like we've seen in the last three or four years where rents have in some cases doubled or gone up by several hundreds of dollars," he told News Talk Radio's John Gormley Live Tuesday. He stresses there are people in Regina specifically that are paying up to and above 70 per cent of their total income on housing costs alone.
While a cap would protect people in the short term, Gilmer also believes it works in the long-term as well. He notes that rent control is in place in five other provinces across Canada and contends that affordable and social housing construction has increased in Manitoba under a control program.
In fact, that's the only item both agree on: that the province needs to build more affordable and social housing. They both say that's where the immediate need lies.
.
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