SASKATOON NEEDS RENT CONTROL POLICY, SAYS NEW CITY REPORT

Sask. Party Has Rejected Overwhelming Evidence For Rent Control, Failed To Deliver On Housing Strategy
SASKATOON – Carla Beck's team is demanding the Sask. Party show some leadership and finally bring rent control to the province as a new report going forward Saskatoon’s city councillors today vouches for a rent control policy.

The report and discussion at council comes as homelessness in Saskatoon has shot up 22 per cent year-over-year and 170 per cent since 2022.

Saskatchewan has seen rent increases for 48 consecutive months — four-straight years. Despite this, Scott Moe has refused to act and passed The Rent Control Act introduced by Carla Beck’s team 240 days ago.

The Sask. Party also ignored or rejected nine other critical pieces of legislation in the Spring Sitting brought forward by Beck’s team to address the cost-of-living crisis.

“People in Saskatoon and right across Saskatchewan are hurting — and Scott Moe and the Sask. Party are missing in action,” said Darcy Warrington, Shadow Minister for Highways & Infrastructure. “My own constituents in Saskatoon Stonebridge have been demanding rent control for a year. Seniors in my riding worry about having to leave their home, their neighbourhood, their social circle, to move somewhere that isn’t home to them, at great cost.”

Housing Shadow Minister April ChiefCalf noted that the report going to council found that renters were three times more likely to be at risk of homelessness.

“Still, despite this, Scott Moe is choosing to side with profit-driven, corporate landlords who openly brag about buying up properties and jacking rents on people living paycheque-to-paycheque,” ChiefCalf said. “Moe is siding with his wealthy donors because that’s who he caters to, day in and day out.

“His Saskatoon Minister flies first class, wining and dining on the public dime while people back here on the ground are suffering. The Sask. Party is out-of-touch and stopped working for the people of this province a long time ago.”

At the Tuesday meeting of the Governance and Priorities Committee, Saskatoon City Council will consider a Homelessness Action plan to address a worsening housing crisis in Saskatchewan's largest city.

"The Sask. Party has failed to act to protect families, which is why municipalities are being forced to step up to fill the gap," said Erika Ritchie, Shadow Minister for Government Relations. "Municipal leaders are being forced to do more and more, because the provincial government is refusing to do its part and is downloading more and more costs.

“Clearly, it’s time for change.”

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