NDP will stop out-of-control rent increases with rent control; make housing affordable

One of the unintended problems with Brad Wall's hype about the 'BOOM' has been the impact on property values in Saskatchewan's major cities. Clearly, housing prices have inflated. As a result, landlords are taking the 'new' inflated value of their rental properties and are jacking up rental charges to reflect the 'higher' inflated property values.

By and large these rent increase have NOTHING to do with an increase in any REAL costs. It is simply a gouge by landlords - PERIOD! The Right wing Saskatchewan Party has nothing but blind faith in the forces of the 'free market' to remedy the problem. #FAIL!

Many, many Saskatchewan citizens who rent are now being gouged because of Brad Wall's inability to comprehend what is happening in the rental market.

New Democrats have no problem understanding the problem and are offering substantive measures to deal with it:

REGINA - The NDP will put an end to out-of-control rent increases and the lack of affordable housing in Saskatchewan with a solid plan for renters and new home buyers.

The NDP outlined its multi-faceted plan to stop skyrocketing rent increases through next-generation rent control; build affordable housing via incentives for developers, co-operatives and community organizations; and target homelessness through a Housing First strategy in its first four years of government.

“The NDP will end these out-of-control rent increases as soon as we are elected government,” said Dwain Lingenfelter, NDP Leader. “Housing needs to be affordable for everyone, and our next-generation rent control plan is fair for renters and for landlords.”

The NDP plan for stopping out-of-control rent increases and building affordable housing includes:

--Introducing next-generation rent control. By introducing legislation that uses a “fair rents” model, the rent control plan includes allowances for new construction and non-corporate landlords.
--Building affordable homes using incentives for private developers such as PST rebates on material input costs for new homes priced under $280,000 and giving first-time home buyers a $2,000 grant to cover closing and related costs.
--Building 2,500 new affordable rental units by investing $216 million more in community-based organizations and co-operatives, including 1,000 units dedicated to student accommodation. Included in this investment is a $20 million commitment to the Housing First approach to fight homelessness.
--Help community-based organizations and co-operatives purchase land with $20 million commitment, as well as offer no-interest loans for construction of new affordable units.

The total cost of the NDP’s commitments to affordable rent and housing is $320.8 million over four years.

“Saskatchewan residents need and deserve a government that will address the issue of housing head-on,” said Lingenfelter. “We hear from people who are facing skyrocketing rents and too few affordable housing options all the time. It’s time for next-generation rent control because it’s the responsible thing to do.”