Nova Scotia's premier noncommittal on $25-million investment in affordable housing
Nova Scotia Premier Iain Rankin is holding off for now on approving $25 million a commission has called for to quickly address some affordable housing needs.
Rankin said after a cabinet meeting on Thursday that he wants to make sure the funding request fits within his government's fiscal plan before he signs off.
A report released on May 31 by Nova Scotia's affordable housing commission said the money would help up to 900 households find reasonably priced accommodation, and it called for that to happen within 100 days.
The report and its 17 recommendations followed a public outcry last fall over a series of widely publicized evictions of low-income tenants and rising homelessness in Halifax.
Rankin noted that the funding is part of a "suite of recommendations" his government is considering.
Geoff MacLellan, the minister responsible for housing, presented the report to cabinet and played down Rankin's comments, saying he doesn't get the sense the government is veering away from the commission's funding recommendation.
"This is normal diligence. It's nothing to be concerned about," MacLellan told reporters.
The report's recommendations ranged from protections for tenants from unfair evictions to altering legislation so zoning could require developers to include low-income rentals in their projects.
However, it didn't adopt a clear stance in favour of continuing rent control in light of the cap that has been imposed by the province during the pandemic.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.