Iain Rankin offers no answer for skyrocketing rent increases

HALIFAX -- For eight years Iain Rankin and the Liberals have allowed the housing crisis to get worse for real people. Families, young people, and seniors are left worrying about massive rent increases that will force them out of their homes and communities.

Iain Rankin claims that supply is the main reason for the current housing crisis. Yet, in eight years, the Liberals built fewer than 200 new units of affordable housing leaving real people to deal with skyrocketing rents, and facing renovictions and homelessness.

The Rankin housing scheme, released last week, says it will develop a 10-year plan for affordable housing. This does nothing for the thousands of families and seniors about to face huge rent increases now. The Liberals scrapped the housing strategy that was in place when they came to power. Now, eight years later, they want to start again – while real people are struggling to find housing they can afford.

The Liberals’ plan to hand over tax cuts to developers and compensate people who are renovicted does nothing to protect people against huge rent increases. Iain Rankin and the Liberals are siding with landlords and developers while leaving young people, families, and seniors to pay the price.

The only immediate solution to the housing crisis for real people is permanent rent control. Iain Rankin and the Liberals are set to eliminate temporary rent control and Tim Houston and the Conservatives said ‘NO’ to rent control in any form.

The only party in this election that will protect real people from skyrocketing, unfair rent increases is the NDP.

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