by Nash Alonto
March 11, 2024
P.E.I. needs a solution to its housing problem, said Charlottetown-Victoria Park MLA Karla Bernard on Friday, March 8, 2024, during Question Period at the Legislative Assembly.
Citing a recent report by the Task Force on Housing and Climate, Bernard urged the implementation of a public, universal, and free rental registry so it becomes easier for the province to define a target for housing affordability.
Bernard has called out the government for resisting the idea.
“Why is a rental registry such a good idea to experts but not to the provincial cabinet?” Bernard said.
Housing Minister Rob Lantz said the rental registry is not a priority.
“We have many things on our plate in my department in order to advance the interests of the province in terms of housing. I have a mandate to move ahead on many fronts,” Lantz said.
However, Lantz did imply he was ready to discuss a rental registry.
“It’s certainly something I’m willing to consider in the future if I’m in this job long enough. But there are many things we can do to improve the situation on the housing front and for renters in this province. A rental registry may be one of them,” he said.
Bernard also called out the government for being inconsistent with its view on what makes a healthy vacancy rate.
“First it was four per cent, then it was three per cent, and now it’s as little as two per cent,” she said.
In response, Lantz said that they’re already seeing progress, ranging from 0.8 to 1.1 per cent in vacancy rates, apart from Charlottetown, which he claimed to have dropped in vacancy rates.
“So, if we can get Charlottetown on course, we’re really starting to see things turn in the right direction,” he said.
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