FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 3, 2023
Greens once again call on Government to support tenants
Charlottetown, PE – Islanders continue to be impacted by the housing crisis.
Hundreds of Islanders—many of them seniors and people on fixed incomes—have faced greater than allowable rent increases at the hands of large, commercial landlords who are based out-of-province. This has left these Islanders with less money to pay for food, medications, and other essentials, and some have been put at risk of displacement because their rents are no longer affordable.
Other Islanders are facing eviction from motels so their units can be used to house tourists. One couple noted they were recently served their third eviction in the past year. As Islanders fear displacement in an extremely tight and unaffordable rental market, the PC government is nowhere to be found.
The new Residential Tenancy Act came into force on April 8th. However, this Act is significantly longer and more complex than the previous Act, and that means existing tenant educational resources are outdated and need to be replaced. Again, it is unclear what the PC government has done to support the implementation of this new Act.
In the short term, the King government must fund a tenant advocate at IRAC who can provide tenants with information, legal advice and represent tenants in proceedings, especially where larger numbers of tenants are impacted. It must also provide community organizations with additional resources to expedite the preparation of educational materials so tenants can be informed of their rights and options.
The King government must also take steps to grow its public housing stock. This can and should include acquiring existing housing stock such as these motels to ensure Islanders can remain housed, and establishing a right of first refusal on the sale of multi-unit residential housing to ensure that the Province, not investors, have the first chance to buy housing.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Katie Rankin
Chief of Staff
Office of the Third Party
Tel: (902) 213-6378
Email: kerankin@assembly.pe.ca