Support for renovictions another sign Conservative government is out of touch

HALIFAX -- While the housing crisis in Nova Scotia continues to worsen, Tim Houston’s government is planning to lift the ban on renovictions, putting thousands of tenants at risk of eviction.

Last week, Colton LeBlanc, the Minister responsible for Residential Tenancies, said the government wasn’t planning to renew the ban on renovictions when the State of Emergency ends later this month. The minister made comments in support of renovations which can displace renters and said he felt comfortable with the current situation.

“The Minister's comments are completely out of touch with the situation people are facing. With a red-hot rental market, one of the lowest vacancy rates in Canada, and home prices rising, people can’t find a place to live,” said Burrill. “In today’s housing market, renovictions are not about helping tenants improve their living spaces. Renovictions are about evading the rent cap by evicting tenants so landlords can charge the next tenant double or more.”

At the Community Service Committee hearing on homelessness this week, housing support providers spoke against the plan to let the renovictions ban expire. One provider said lifting the ban would cause a “huge influx” of new homeless people, while another highlighted that the housing crisis existed before the pandemic, and linking the end of the ban on renovictions to the end of the state of emergency is “just misdirected.”

“Tim Houston must not let the ban on renovictions expire on March 31. Too many people will lose their homes,” said Suzy Hansen, NDP Housing spokesperson. “We have heard from those working on the front lines of this housing crisis, and they are clear that ending the ban will make things worse.”

The NDP fought for and won the ban on renovictions and temporary rent control, helping thousands of families stay in their homes during the housing crisis.

The NDP has launched a petition against ending the ban on renovictions, which can be signed at: nsndp.ca/sign/renovictions-ban/

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