Our project on the housing needs of the LGBT seniors population in Canada was profiled on CBC news on December 14, 2020. Here is the link to the evening news broadcast (our story is at the 12-minute mark): CBC News December 14, 2020. The print article is here: “Researchers hope for new policies for housing LGBTQ seniors”(Shaina Luck, December 14, 2020)
As most of you know by now, I am co-chairing the Nova Scotia Affordable Housing Commission with Cathy Berliner, the Deputy Minister of the Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing. The commission will be meeting regularly for the next 6 months to formulate recommendations. On November 25, Minister Chuck Porter announced the formation of the commission in response to rising evictions due to unregulated rent increases in Nova Scotia. He also announced a temporary freeze on evictions based on renovations to the unit and a maximum 2% rent increase annually until the state of emergency is lifted, in order to ensure people are not displaced during COVID. The province, HRM, and non-profits have heard from tenants about rent increases as high as 90%. Many have noted an increase in homelessness this year, as the unemployment rate rose and temporary bans on evictions expired in August.
The commission will be communicating regularly with the public and will be doing stakeholder consultation to ensure data from those with lived experience, non-profit and private sector providers, developers, real estate professionals, immigrant and refugee groups, Indigenous and African Nova Scotian groups and others informs any policy/program recommendations. The commission itself has broad representation including several provincial departments, HRM, Cape Breton Regional Municipality, and the non-profit, private sector, and community-based organizations.
