Question Period (December 14, 2011)
December 14, 2011 Saskatchewan Hansard Page 207: — Thank
Shelter Accommodation
Ms. Chartier
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, Social Services has been housing many people in hotels like
the Coachman, the Sunrise and the Quality Inn in Regina. There’s been
one man who’s had to call the Coachman home for seven months, Mr.
Speaker. He was housed in the Coachman for seven months at approximately
$2,676 a month, or about $90 a day. He asked for an increase in his
shelter allowance and was denied. The government has made the choice to
house people in hotels rather than work with them to find affordable and
appropriate housing.
To the minister: why is this government choosing to pay huge hotel bills instead of addressing inadequate shelter allowances?
The Speaker
I recognize the Minister of Social Services.
Hon. Ms. Draude
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I don’t know
specifically the case the member is talking about. But I can tell you
that we have raised emergency shelter rates by 85 per cent, and we’ve
increased the number of spaces by 130 since we became government. Mr.
Speaker, we have new spaces in Saskatoon in the Salvation Army Mumford
House. And we know that there is more work to be done in this area, Mr.
Speaker. And we also know that our hotel usage has decreased
considerably in the last year. In February 2010, we were using an
average of 427 rooms a night, and last year it was 30.
Mr. Speaker, we know there’s more work to be done to ensure that
people have a safe place to go in the evenings and at night. But we also
know that every individual, their cases are looked at to find out why
they are still in a hotel, and there’s always answers and reasons behind
that.
The Speaker
I recognize the member for Saskatoon Riversdale.
Ms. Chartier
Mr. Speaker, being housed in a hotel for seven months isn’t
emergency shelter and it becomes someone’s home. And a hotel is not a
home, Mr. Speaker.
We heard yesterday that Regina has the lowest vacancy rate in
Canada, point six per cent. The average one-bedroom apartment in Regina
costs $790 a month. Shelter allowance for a single, unemployable person
is $459. Even if someone is eligible for the maximum rental supplement
over and above this, this still puts them below the average one bedroom,
if they can even find one, Mr. Speaker. While the core issue certainly
is a lack of affordable rental units, the immediate issue is inadequate
shelter allowances.
To the minister: both people, renters and taxpayers, are paying for
the failure to address people’s pressing housing needs. When will the
minister recognize shelter allowances fail to match the reality of
today’s tight rental market?
The Speaker
I recognize the Minister of Social Services.
Hon. Ms. Draude
Mr. Speaker, we know that the vacancy rates right now are about the
same as they were last year at this time. And we know that there’s an
increase in the number of people in this province, so we are managing to
keep up or get ahead of that pace.
But, Mr. Speaker, we do know that there are people that are in
shelters right now and there’s more work to be done. Some of the work
that we’ve done in the last while is making sure that we have more
affordable units on the market, more people that are buying into the
idea of having the rental incentive program and affordable housing
program. Right now we have 960 units that have been built since we
became government; another 950 are on the way. Places like Regina have
got applications for 900 rental incentive units.
Mr. Speaker, there’s more work to be done. We know that, but we
feel confident that working with the communities and the developers
right around the province, we can address this issue that is part of one
of the great parts of about a booming province.
The Speaker
I recognize the member for Saskatoon Riversdale.
Ms. Chartier
Just to recap, Mr. Speaker, so the vacancy rate is at point six per
cent in Regina. The average one-bedroom apartment is $790 a month,
shelter allowance for a single person is $459. Again, even if someone is
eligible for the maximum rental supplement, this still puts him or her —
their total housing allowance — $69 below the average cost of a
one-bedroom apartment, if they can even find one.
The additional money that people pay to have a decent apartment
comes out of their very limited living allowance, which means less food
on the table or having to choose which prescription to fill.
To the minister: taking everything into account — the low vacancy
rate, the fact that the shelter allowances are not enough — is she
prepared to immediately increase the shelter allowances so people can
find adequate and affordable housing now?
The Speaker
I recognize the Minister of Social Services.
Hon. Ms. Draude
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, knowing that people are living in a hotel
or in a shelter isn’t something that anybody wants to hear about. But
doing this is not something that happened because we became government.
The same thing was happening under the NDP. The only difference is we
increased the amount of money that we’ve given to people in shelters.
We’ve increased the amount of shelter spaces there are, and we’re
working on making sure that there are more units for people.
Mr. Speaker, we know that we can’t do those alone, and that’s why
we have about 200 non-government organizations that are working with us
to ensure that we have places, and not only is it a home but a support
for people. Mr. Speaker, the community-based organizations are working
with our government, and together we’re going to make a difference to
everyone in this province.
The Speaker
I recognize the member for Saskatoon Riversdale.
Ms. Chartier
The Speaker
I recognize the Minister of Social Services.
Hon. Ms. Draude
Mr. Speaker, I know that the member opposite cares about this
issue, as do all of us on this side of the House. That’s why we’re
working extremely hard. That’s why we’ve got 5,700 units that are being
prepared to be constructed in the next while. That’s why we’ve invested
$309 million in housing.
Mr. Speaker, the vacancy rate that was talked about yesterday,
there’s another part of it that makes everybody understand that there is
work being done. They’re saying, "On the bright side," and I’m quoting
from the Leader-Post today:
On the bright side, we’re seeing the market respond. On the
condominium side, we’ve seen a two-fold increase (from 2010). We’ve also
noticed an increase in rental-designated starts, not just in Regina but
right across Saskatchewan.
That’s close to 3,000 multi-unit buildings we’ve built in this province, a 44 per cent increase from last year.
Mr. Speaker, we know that the shelter rates are something that have
to be addressed, but in the long run we ought to make sure that there
are affordable units for people, that there are places for people to go
at night and to look at their individual needs. Mr. Speaker, we will
continue to work with the people in the province to make sure they’re
pleased to call Saskatchewan home.
The Speaker
I recognize the member for Saskatoon Centre.
Housing
Mr. Forbes
Thank
you very much, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday the Minister of Housing was
unable to provide a good explanation to reporters between the difference
between social housing and affordable housing. To the minister: does
she now understand the difference, and is she able to explain it?
The Speaker
I recognize the Minister of Social Services.
Hon. Ms. Draude
Yes, Mr. Speaker, there’s a number of people in this province who
know all about affordable units and social units, and I’m one of them.
Mr. Speaker, the affordable units are 90 per cent of the average
market rent and social is geared to income. But, Mr. Speaker, 95 per
cent of the seniors’ units in this province are social housing units,
and these are the kind of units that didn’t see increases that were
talked about yesterday.
Mr. Speaker, we are building more units. That’s a part of our goal
as the government is to make sure that there are units for people in the
province. And not only that, we’ve indexed them through the cost of
inflation seven times since we became government. Mr. Speaker, there is
more work to be done, but when it comes to housing, our government puts
this challenge at the front.
The Speaker
I recognize the member for Saskatoon Centre.
Mr. Forbes
Mr.
Speaker, to the hundreds if not thousands of people in affordable
housing today, that’s cold comfort as they’re thinking about what to do.
But here’s a quote from the minister’s scrum yesterday: "Right now we
cannot have people staying in places that are below market value and
just staying there."
To the minister: what is the purpose of affordable housing, if not to be below market value?
The Speaker
I recognize the Minister of Social Services.
Hon. Ms. Draude
We know that the affordable housing markets are 90 per cent of the
average market rate. We know that. Social housing is geared to income.
But, Mr. Speaker, all of a sudden after being out of government for
a number of years, the NDP now has a real concern about it. I wonder
why they didn’t have a concern about it when they did not increase the
benefits to seniors between 1992 and 2007, despite during that time
having a 40 per cent increase in inflation. And the NDP did not increase
shelter rates for 13 out of 16 of their years when they were in
government, and at that time there was an inflation of over 30 per cent.
Mr. Speaker, during that time when they were in government it
didn’t look important to them to increase the shelter rates. Mr.
Speaker, we know as government we have to increase them. We did it seven
times in the last four years. There’s more work to be done, and it’s
something that’s part of our policy as government. I assure you, Mr.
Speaker, this issue is very important to us.
The Speaker
I recognize the member for Saskatoon Centre.
Mr. Forbes
Well,
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Minister of Housing was not only confused
about social housing and affordable housing, she was also very confused
about who’s eligible for the rental supplement. Today I ask the minister
does she now understand the difference about who is eligible and who’s
not? Can she explain this to the House?
The Speaker
I recognize the Minister of Social Services.
Hon. Ms. Draude
Mr. Speaker, I’ve explained to the member opposite a number of
times, and I’ll say it again. With social housing, the rent is geared to
income and affordable housing, it’s 90 per cent of the average market
rent. Mr. Speaker, that is the premise we’ve been working on. It hasn’t
changed since they’ve become government. And we know that there are a
number of units, like 10,500 senior units in this province that are
under social housing. The rest of them are under affordable housing.
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to affordability and what we are doing
as government, we have decreased the number of people that are paying
taxes by 114,000. We’ve decreased the debt. We’ve put money back into
the pockets of people. Mr. Speaker, single, low-income seniors in our
province right now have saved $1,200 per year in their pockets because
of the taxes and the benefit changes. And if you’re a couple, it’s
$2,000 per year. Mr. Speaker, there’s more work to be done. I know there
is. But, Mr. Speaker, this is the work that we’re doing at this time.
The Speaker
I recognize the member for Saskatoon Centre.
Mr. Forbes
Mr. Speaker, my question was specifically about the rent supplement
and who is eligible for the rent supplement. Would she please answer
the question
The Speaker
I recognize the Minister of Social Services.
Hon. Ms. Draude
People
that are eligible for the rent supplement are families, Mr. Speaker, or
people with a disability are eligible for our rental housing
supplement. I think the member opposite should know that. We have about
5,900 people right now that are benefitting from the supplement, and
it’s something that we look at and we index. It wasn’t done under the
previous government, and it’s the type of thing that we continue to look
at. It’s an important part of our budgetary process as we go ahead.
The Speaker
I recognize the member for Saskatoon Centre.
Mr. Forbes
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday in the media scrum, the
Minister of Housing was asked what is the advantage of Sask Housing if
rents are going to simply keep pace with the market. The minister
responded with this, and I quote: "Because there are still some that are
going to be able to have the supplements as well."
To the minister: is it really her view that the advantage of Sask
Housing, that people there can live there, can still receive
supplements?
The Speaker
I recognize the Minister of Social Services.
Hon. Ms. Draude
Mr. Speaker, I think again that the member opposite knows that in
certain circumstances the rental supplements are available to people,
Sask Housing tenants. For example, a single mother whose income
fluctuates is often eligible for a top-up from both the rental
supplement program and from the Saskatchewan employment supplement. Our
income assistance divisions and housing authorities work together on
these issues.
Mr. Speaker, I know that the members opposite would like to just
talk about what happened yesterday. I’d like to talk about what their
concern was a number of years ago when we had people who were living in
homes that were not kept up. There was no investment into the affordable
housing. In fact the last year that they were government, they built 58
units. In the first four years we were in government, we built 968
units, Mr. Speaker. Let’s talk about who cares about people who are
needing help from our government.
[14:15]
: —
The Speaker
I recognize the member for Saskatoon Centre.
Mr. Forbes
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. We’re very proud of the fact that
we introduced the rent supplement. But the issue today is about the
rents are increasing in Sask Housing. The tenants are very upset, so
that’s where we’re focusing on this issue today. And that minister
should be aware of it and not be talking about last year or the year
before, or in the out years.
I just want to ask her a question though. The minister repeated
several times yesterday that if the rent in the government’s affordable
housing units is not close to rent in the private market, there would be
no incentive for people to move out. To the minister: has she changed
the mandate of Sask Housing, or is it still to provide safe and secure
housing to those who cannot afford other options?
The Speaker
I recognize the Minister of Social Services.
Hon. Ms. Draude
Mr. Speaker, the policies that we have in Sask Housing are ones
that are always being reviewed because we’ve got to make sure that the
homes we own as government, that the people of this province own, are
geared to people who most need them, Mr. Speaker. And you know, what we
are doing at the same time is making sure that people have more money in
their pockets and making sure that people are in those housing units
that belong to the government, if they have an opportunity to move
forward because they’ve earned more money, let’s look at it, Mr.
Speaker.
But at the same time, Mr. Speaker, I would think the members
opposite should be pleased that our province is going ahead, that there
are more people that are off the income tax rolls, that there are more
people working, that our unemployment rate is one of the lowest in
Canada. And together we are making sure that Saskatchewan is going
ahead.
The Speaker
I recognize the member for Saskatoon Centre.
Mr. Forbes
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Yesterday the minister was asked
the following question, and I quote, "Where would you find a better deal
than social housing?" Her answer was this: "Well if we raise the rents
and the rent is higher than you can get in the private market, they
probably would move out."
To the minister: is that the Sask Party’s plan, to raise rent in
affordable housing units so it is higher than the rent in the private
market?
The Speaker
I recognize the Minister of Social Services.
Hon. Ms. Draude
Mr. Speaker, I don’t know whether the member opposite is running
out of questions or what he’s doing because right now what we’re talking
about is making sure that it stays 90 per cent of the average rent. Mr.
Speaker, that hasn’t changed.
But we also do know that there is more work to be done in this
area. Mr. Speaker, we’re building affordable units, not just in
Saskatoon and Regina and Prince Albert but right across the province. In
fact our five point housing strategy talks about involving community
partners, involving developers, involving builders, and making sure that
right across a growing province there are units for people to be living
in.
Mr. Speaker, I know the members opposite are focusing on
affordability because they don’t believe that there’s a bright future in
this province. In fact they probably are the only nine people left in
the province who don’t because the rest of them are on this side of the
House.
The Speaker
I recognize the member for Saskatoon Centre.
Mr. Forbes
Mr. Speaker, of course we’re focusing on affordability, and it is
the right thing to do. People are talking about that right across the
province. So forgive us if we’re doing our job asking about affordable
issues.
Well, Mr. Speaker, it was abundantly clear that as of yesterday the
Minister of Housing had no understanding about the purpose of Sask
Housing’s affordable housing units and when she chose to increase the
rents. To the minister: now that she’s got her head around this, about
what affordable housing’s supposed to be, will she do the right thing
and cancel the rent increases? Thank you.
The Speaker
I recognize the Minister of Social Services.
Hon. Ms. Draude
Mr.
Speaker, out of the 10,500 senior units that are operated by Sask
Housing, these are the social housing. None of these units are subject
to increase. Out of the remaining, which is 3 per cent of the seniors’
units, they have an increase to their affordable housing. We’ve looked
at why, what we can to do to make sure that it’s affordable. And, Mr.
Speaker, I’ve told the member opposite that there’s another $1,200 in
the pockets of single seniors and there’s $2,000 more in the pockets of
couples. Mr. Speaker, the members opposite didn’t look at this issue
when they were in government because they didn’t increase seniors’
income benefits between 1992 and 2007.
Mr.
Speaker, what is it . . . the people that they have right now, their
seniors are important to the people of this province, and making sure
that we have double the seniors, the number of people on seniors’ income
plan. And after this year’s election three times increased, they have
tripled the amount of people under the seniors’ income plan, Mr.
Speaker, three times of the amount of money under those people.
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