Affordable housing debated in Sask. legislature

The Opposition NDP is criticizing the Saskatchewan government for raising the rent collected at affordable housing projects, but the minister responsible says it has to go up.

According to Social Services Minister June Draude, the province has a policy to set the rent for affordable housing to about 10 per cent below market rent.

Because of recent increases in the rental market, she says affordable housing rent also has to go up — in some cases by as much as $75 a month — to keep pace.

But New Democrat David Forbes says renters who can’t pay the increase don’t have much of an option because there aren’t any other, more affordable units available.

Forbes points to a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. report showing that Regina had the lowest vacancy rate of all major centres in October at just .6 per cent.

Forbes says the situation is especially hard on seniors with fixed incomes because they don’t qualify for a rent supplement.

© The Canadian Press, 2011

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