From a press release
HALIFAX: NSNDP Leader Claudia Chender made the following statement today in response to the Houston government’s decision to expand the rent supplement program:
“We are relieved that the Houston government has finally decided to restore some eligibility for the rent supplement program, more than a year after their punitive decision to cut it,” said Chender.
“Nova Scotia New Democrats know this program has been falling short and we’ve been calling for it to be expanded as more Nova Scotians are struggling to afford their homes.”
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In January 2023, the Houston government changed the eligibility threshold to qualify for the program from 30 to 50 per cent of a household’s gross income.
This change resulted in hundreds of Nova Scotians being blocked from accessing this program, and myself and my New Democrat colleagues have been calling for its reversal ever since.
The decision on Aug. 23 to change the threshold to 40 per cent is a step in the right direction, but there is still much more work left to be done.
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‘Rent supplements are a stop-gap measure as affordable housing options continue to be out of reach for many Nova Scotians.
“We continue to call on the Houston government to ensure that Nova Scotians are able to find and keep homes they can afford by implementing real solutions.
“Making deep investments in rapid and affordable home construction and non-market housing, closing the fixed-term lease loophole, creating real rent control and increasing renter protections.”
