Affordable housing still scarce in Charlottetown, says mayor

Affordable housing in Charlottetown remains scarce and Mayor Clifford Lee is calling on the federal government to create "a national housing strategy that really works."

Two years ago, Lee convened a summit to try to address a lack of quality affordable housing in the city.

Two years later, the mayor admits not much has changed.

• Charlottetown's rental vacancy rate declined this fall
• Many Charlottetown renters struggling with affordability
• Charlottetown apartment dwellers can expect higher rents
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"We had a couple of ideas that came out of that. One was to, for example, send our fire inspector and building inspector in and start doing inspections on some of the properties that probably don't meet the standard," said Lee.

"The problem with that ended up being though, that if you condemned apartment buildings, these tenants were going to go where?"

Meanwhile, many older properties are slated for demolition and are replaced with new housing that many residents may not be able to afford.

Lee said private developers are free to tear down and build, but the "federal and provincial governments need to come onside with a national housing strategy that really works."

Demand outweighing supply

In recent years, federal investments created so-called affordable housing that many Islanders still couldn't afford, while hundreds are on waiting lists to get into apartments with subsidized rents, he said.

But the lists are so long and many people on the waiting listwill likely never get in, he added.

• Affordable housing plan not working, says mayor

Lee said he plans to meet with the provincial and federal governments in 2016.

Ottawa has committed to a new affordable housing strategy as part of its $10-billion infrastructure plans.

P.E.I.'s Family and Human Services Minister Doug Currie said he will meet with his federal counterpart early in the new year.

"We're looking forward to doing some positive work. I recognize, as the minister, that the demand is outweighing the supply," he said.

"There's no question. I'm an MLA, I talk to constituents that are struggling daily, monthly in our communities, right in our backyards to afford to have a safe home. Obviously it has an overall impact on wellness, health."

According to the Canadian Housing Rental Index, one in five Charlottetown families spends at least half its income, on shelter costs (rent and utilities).

"That's why I call it a crisis," said Becka Viau, of the P.E.I. Working Group For a Livable Income.

"You know, we have one of the most food-insecure populations on P.E.I. as well. So if you match the housing crisis and food insecurity on P.E.I., I think there's no time other than 2015 to start addressing poverty."