The bill follows months of consultation with landlords and landlord organizations, home builders, industry experts, not-for-profit organizations, and renters. Currently, there are approximately 300,000 renters in Saskatchewan.
“I want the thousands of Saskatchewan renters out there to know that we’ve heard you,” Beck said. “So many Saskatchewan people are working multiple jobs, doing everything right, and still having to choose between rent and groceries.
“That's not the future I want for my kids, or my parents, or for anyone in this province. We need rent control, and we need it now.”
Bill 608, The Rent Control Act, would tie maximum rent increases to the Consumer Price Index, stopping big corporate landlords from increasing rents by unreasonable double-digit amounts every year.
During consultations, the Saskatchewan NDP heard from countless seniors and young people concerned about 20 — sometimes even 30 — per cent rent increases from corporate landlords.
“Big corporate landlords — many of which are headquartered in Alberta and Ontario – should not be able to jack up rents 20 per cent in a single year,” said April ChiefCalf, Shadow Housing Minister, who introduced the bill.
“Saskatchewan is like the wild west of big corporate landlords after 18 years of the Sask. Party. Our province deserves a future where everyone that works hard can afford to put a roof over their head.”
Rita Racette, a Regina senior with cancer, had to give away her cats because she can’t afford to keep them while her rent keeps going up on her Boardwalk unit.
“When I first moved into my unit in 2022, I was paying $1,329. Now I’m paying $1,684,” said Racette. “I have no savings and I’m living on my pension. Everything keeps going up and it’s ridiculous how long we wait for renovations.”
According to Statistics Canada, nearly every province that has implemented rent control has seen a greater increase in new housing investments than Saskatchewan, contrary to the arguments of the Sask. Party and big corporate landlords like Boardwalk.
According to Rentals.ca, average rent in Saskatchewan has gone up for 40 consecutive months and has increased 24 percent in the past 2 years – the highest increase in Canada.
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