The NDP opposition has accused the provincial government of being a slum landlord. It comes after a Saskatoon public housing unit became infested with rodents.
The NDP say the lack of maintenance and upgrades on government housing wide has created a high vacancy rate.
The Saskatchewan government built thousands of housing units over the decades to revitalize inner city neighbourhoods. Now many sit vacant and boarded up. Neighbours feel it’s a shame.
“When I walk around here all I can see is that only one of the houses is actually being used and I feel like that’s a waste because there’s multiple families and new mothers who need a home that’s affordable and these were affordable homes,” said Regina resident Koda- Eve Pinay.
The NDP blame a lack of upkeep as a contributing factor for the government’s 19 per cent vacancy rate. It points to this week’s case in Saskatoon of a rodent infested apartment. The opposition says the government has become a slum landlord.
“It is an absolute shame that we have thousands of units sitting empty in this province either because people can’t qualify for them or because people can’t live in them because many of them are unliveable because they have been neglected for decades by this government,” said NDP MLA Meara Conway.
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The minister has ordered that the rodent issue be addressed. He says $440 million has been spent on public housing maintenance over the past 15 years.
“I’ve toured many of them here in Regina and some are in very nice condition and just waiting to be ready to go and that takes time. Others require serious repairs and then there’s a decision made what to do with it,” said Gene Makowsky, minister of Social Services.
The government would like to find a solution to its high vacancy rate but feels many are choosing to live elsewhere for better access to schools and shopping.
