PRESS RELEASE- Open Letter Premier Rankin- to address the flaws in the housing commissions mandate

March 1^st, 2021

KJIPUKTUK (HALIFAX, NS)- Today the  Nova Scotia Action Coalition for Community Wellbeing (NSACCW) is calling on the New Premier and his cabinet to address the flaws in the Housing Commission’s mandate. The open letter addressed to Premier Rankin, signed by over 36 individuals and organizations calls on his newly formed government to recognize that housing insecurity is about more than just the supply of housing.

“The housing commission’s focus must be much broader if we are to truly tackle this issue,” states Stella Lord Chair of the Community Society to End Poverty Nova Scotia. “The current mandate is too limited as it does not address the growing problems arising from the financialization of the rental housing market, the need for improved tenancy rights under the Tenancy Act, or other important issues contributing to unaffordable housing such as the inadequacy of our provincial ESIA and DSP income support programs, high levels of unemployment, and our low minimum wage,” Ms. Lord says.

Alec Stratford, from the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers agrees, “We are not going to tackle housing and homelessness within Nova Scotia without simultaneously providing better provision of services to ensure we are wrapping around services that focus on bio-psycho-social approaches to mental health and addiction issues through a housing first lens.”

Colleen Cameron from the Antigonish Anti-Poverty Coalition believes that the new Premier and cabinet has an opportunity to turn the tide on community well-being in Nova Scotia. Ms. Cameron comments that “the new Premier must act now to honour the concerns about housing, homelessness and high levels of poverty that he spoke about during the Liberal Leadership race, Nova Scotians cannot wait.”

The open letter can be found on the NSACCW website and the Coalition encourages all Nova Scotians to write to the new Premier and demand real action on housing and homelessness.

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For more information or to arrange interviews, contact Alec Stratford at 902-410-2420 or at Alec.Stratford@NSCSW.org