Poverty and Tenants' Rights in Nova Scotia
A few days ago, here, I made reference to the process of gentrification, and the driving of low-income people out of the urban core. I have in the past referred to my volunteer work, and in the course of this work I listened to a presentation from Cole (Hey!), a young man who is a member of the Halifax Coalition Against Poverty (HCAP). A very interesting and enlightening presentation, and what particularly interested me was the current focus of HCAP's efforts.
HCAP is educating tenants about their rights under the law - rights which were severely curtailed by the passing of regulations to accompany the Rent Review Act. The Act itself, passed in 1989, provides a series of checks on the amount that rent can be increased, and the conditions under which increases can happen. The Act sounds somewhat similar to one under consideration in Ontario - which, if accounts I have heard are true, is in desperate need of some form of rent control.
The Nova Scotia Act started with the best of intentions, but these intentions were dismantled by the single regulation made to accompany the Act in 1993.
The entire text of the Regulation (copied from the NS Government's website) is below:
1. Effective on, from and after the 24th day of August, 1993, all classes of residential premises are exempt from the application of the Rent Review Act.
Pretty much takes care of that, doesn't it?
I urge the folks from Ontario who read this (Hi!) to support and encourage the passage of their new law. And, I urge citizens of Nova Scotia to support HCAP in its' efforts to effect the repeal of the regulation in any way you can - sign a petition, write to the government, whatever.
Otherwise, thanks to the rampaging housing market and the desire to 'reclaim' the urban centre for the affluent, the people who are most in need will be driven out of the places they most need to be. Their homes.
HCAP is educating tenants about their rights under the law - rights which were severely curtailed by the passing of regulations to accompany the Rent Review Act. The Act itself, passed in 1989, provides a series of checks on the amount that rent can be increased, and the conditions under which increases can happen. The Act sounds somewhat similar to one under consideration in Ontario - which, if accounts I have heard are true, is in desperate need of some form of rent control.
The Nova Scotia Act started with the best of intentions, but these intentions were dismantled by the single regulation made to accompany the Act in 1993.
The entire text of the Regulation (copied from the NS Government's website) is below:
1. Effective on, from and after the 24th day of August, 1993, all classes of residential premises are exempt from the application of the Rent Review Act.
Pretty much takes care of that, doesn't it?
I urge the folks from Ontario who read this (Hi!) to support and encourage the passage of their new law. And, I urge citizens of Nova Scotia to support HCAP in its' efforts to effect the repeal of the regulation in any way you can - sign a petition, write to the government, whatever.
Otherwise, thanks to the rampaging housing market and the desire to 'reclaim' the urban centre for the affluent, the people who are most in need will be driven out of the places they most need to be. Their homes.
You can find everything you may want about Ontario landlord and tenant law and rent controls on the Ontario Tenants Rights website.
Posted by
Jim91 |
Sat Jun 24, 07:24:00 PM
HCAP deserves much credit.
Nova Scotia has changed laws and passed new laws which leave the low income, the poor of Nova Scotia totally defenseless.
Who are ALLLL those Bioscience-Medical Diagnostics-Pharmacutical Research companies in Nova Scotia using as Test Subjects for their Experimental products?
The poor of Nova Scotia who need to access NS Pharmacare? Without these vulnerable-defensless people's knowledge ot consent, yeah?
Plan is,' Sounds too incredible to be true noone will believe it.'
Dingwall knew about it in 1993.
Posted by
Anonymous |
Sat Dec 13, 01:56:00 AM