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Requests for rent control echoed throughout Halifax on Saturday afternoon as a crowd of about 200 gathered and marched into downtown downtown.
The rally, organized by the ACORN defense group, started outside the town hall, where the large open parade allowed them to distance themselves physically.
But the protesters’ requests were addressed to the provincial government.
They want the province to adopt legislation that limits rent increases to three percent per year.
Organizer Hannah Wood said she wanted the increases to require justification, perhaps for major renovations or repairs.
“And not just like it or not like it is now, where they lift it when they want and don’t have to justify it to anyone,” said organizer Hannah Wood.
Over the past six months, CBC has reported rent increases in HRM ranging from 17% to 90%.
With these types of rent increases, coupled with mass evictions and a record vacancy rate of 1%, Premier Stephen McNeil told reporters last month that he recognized housing as a problem, a problem that the his government is trying to deal with.
However, he was not keen on rent control, saying it “doesn’t work” because it discourages development. Housing Minister Chuck Porter has repeatedly made the same argument over the past few months.
Wood was not satisfied with their response.
“When they say rent control doesn’t work, I think they are thinking of the owners and developers and not the average person. Rent control helps the situation for the low-income middle tenant.”
Protesters marched to the provincial house on Saturday to close the event. It is there that two years ago the NDP presented a bill to legislate on rent control. The liberal government basically rejected it leaving it intact on the legislator’s floor.
“I’m angry,” says the tenant
Jennifer Ryan was among those who marched to the legislature.
She was recently notified of a $ 130 rent increase for her bachelor flat in Halifax’s West End. This is a 19% increase from the $ 695 he had paid.
Ryan said his landlord threatened to raise his rent by more than 90% if he chose to change the terms of his lease month-to-month.
“I am angry about the forced rent increases, the rent evictions, the reasons why so many people who are below the poverty line are still forced to pay exorbitant prices,” she said.
Ryan said he can afford to pay the new rent with his $ 30,000 salary, but barely.
“What I cannot afford is if something goes wrong. As if for some reason the pandemic comes back and I am out of work and have no money [coming in]. “
Sharon Fernandez said she doesn’t think rent control would completely eliminate housing insecurity, but she thinks it’s part of the solution to the current housing crisis.
As a social worker, Fernandez said he sees homeless people every day. Helping people find and keep a place to live is an important part of her job.
“It’s heartbreaking to see,” he said. “Like, very off-putting.”
“Today is someone [else]and tomorrow it could be me. “
Attorney Tammy Wohler was also present at the rally on Saturday and said she was concerned about rising trends in rent increases and mass evictions.
In his work at Nova Scotia Legal Aid, Wohler said lease problems make up about half of his workload.
“We are having a significant housing crisis in Nova Scotia,” Wohler said.
He said he would like the province to reconsider rent control legislation.
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