Press Hits

On Tuesday, members of the legislature’s community services committee meeting heard a range of opinions about the rights of tenants in Nova Scotia when it comes to fixed-term leases.

Witnesses who appeared before the committee spoke about various aspects of the agenda topic, Tenant rights under the Residential Tenancies Act. Those who addressed the committee included associate deputy minister of Service Nova Scotia, Gary O’Toole. He was one of several who spoke on the issue of fixed-term leases.

During a community services committee meeting held last spring, O’Toole told reporters that “fixed-term leases are being used inappropriately.”

When Debbie Staples was told she might have to leave the apartment she has lived in for nearly 20 years, she tried to imagine what might come next. “Is the postman going to deliver the mail to my car?” she recalls thinking. “Because that’s where I’d be living.”
Ottawa doesn’t just have a housing shortage. It has a housing logjam.

It’s a problem across the board, but it shows up especially clearly among seniors. Many who might otherwise move — because their homes are larger than they need, for example — are staying put, not because they want to, but because there’s nowhere obvious to go, particularly if they’re reaching an age where they need some supports. Downsizing is one thing. Leaving behind a neighbourhood — and the community that comes with it — is another. Others don’t have the luxury of staying. Older renters on fixed or limited incomes are increasingly being pushed out by rising rents or renovictions, only to find that what comes next is far more expensive, and often out of reach.

Solar power has truly come of age. Dropping in cost by 99.9 per cent over the past 50 years, it is now, by far, the cheapest source of energy in history.

Resistant to fluctuations in the price of oil and natural gas, once installed it provides essentially free electricity for the life of the panels, at least 25 years. That’s probably why you see it popping up on houses and in farm fields across our province.

One notable exception? Condos, apartments and backyard sheds.

England has ushered in sweeping changes to its tenancy laws, including the end of fixed-term leases. Housing advocates in Nova Scotia have been pushing for this for a long time. We’ll find out how it’s going on the other side of the pond.

Toronto is escalating its fight against negligent landlords as Mayor Olivia Chow says long‑overdue repairs, pest control and safety work are finally underway at 500 Dawes Road, one of the city’s most notoriously neglected rental buildings.

Chow visited tenants in the Beaches–East York high‑rise on Monday, located near Victoria Park Avenue and St. Clair Avenue East, outlining how newly strengthened enforcement powers are being used to force action after years of deteriorating conditions.

“I will not tolerate slum landlords in our city,” Chow said during the visit.

“At least 50 per cent of that building must be affordable houses for people who can’t afford high rents in Calgary,” said Hassina Sadat, who is part of ACORN Canada.

People in the downtown core like the idea of the building getting a second life.

“(Downtown is) more or less vacant…I hope that the new building is going to be sold with a lot of people and coming from…all the different places around the globe,” one Calgarian said.