A small group of protesters gathered outside Nova Scotia MLA Brendan Maguire’s constituency office on Friday, as Halifax residents demanded the community service minister support legislation to end the use of fixed-term leases throughout the province.
The picketing event was organized by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN).
Heather Clark, chair of ACORN’s Halifax division, said her organization is targeting the office of Maguire because he recently crossed the floor and joined the governing Progressive Conservative caucus.
“Last year, the Progressive Conservatives had the opportunity to ban fixed-term leases and they didn’t. Our unhoused population went from 200 to over 1,200 people,” she said, as drivers routinely honked their car horns toward the group of chanting advocates.
“They left the city of Halifax and shelters like Beacon House and Adsum House to house these people. That has to stop.”
Unlike periodic leases – such as month-to-month or year-to-year – fixed-term leases have fixed start and end dates, meaning they are not automatically renewed.
Critics have decried fixed-term leases as a “loophole” for landlords to get around the province’s five per cent rent cap, as rent increases do not apply to new tenants.
Clark said “the majority of landlords” are solely offering fixed-term leases.
“They could be using the periodic lease which allows it to continue from year to year, but landlords are not doing that,” she continued.
“People are terrified. They’re terrified they’re going to end up on the streets. They’re terrified they’re going to lose their home and have no place to go.”
Clark said tenants are facing more barriers than ever when re-entering the rental market following the expiry of a lease.
“If they have to go to a new unit where they have to pay double the rent, that’s just going to put more pressure on them,” she said, adding that these circumstances are spilling over and causing an increased strain on public services.
“It’s going to cause more hospitalizations, more pressure on social housing programs, and other programs that are supporting these people. It’s creating a very unhealthy society.”
In addition, Clark said there is a timely element to ACORN’s rally on Friday. She said there’s currently a bill being tabled that could modify existing legislation that permits the usage of fixed-term rental agreements.
“The opportunity was there last year but the Conservatives voted against it. We’re begging on them to approve that bill so people can live a healthy lifestyle and without worry and stress in their eyes,” she said, adding that there’s additional legislation being considered that could see changes made to the Residential Tenancies Act.
“It would input permanent rent control … it’s fair for both parties. Not just for tenants but landlords, as well. We need all these new programs put in place so people can feel comfortable in their homes and not have to worry about moving year-to-year.”
Province responds
In response to a Global News request inquiring to see if fixed-term leases are becoming more common across the province, Nova Scotia’s provincial government said it is unable to provide an accurate estimate.
“We understand the challenges Nova Scotians are facing with the tight rental market,” read an emailed statement from Geoff Tobin, a spokesperson for Service Nova Scotia. “Leases or lease information for tenancies are not collected by government.”
The response continued to iterate the province’s focus on increasing housing supply as opposed to adjusting regulations surrounding the existing rental market.
“The solution for these challenges is more housing, and while we work to increase our housing supply, we’ll continue to listen to tenants and landlords, to assess the best actions we can take to balance the rights of both,” the statement read.
‘Everybody’s struggling with it’
Selena, a youth worker who didn’t provide Global News with her last name, was in attendance for Friday’s rally. She said she’s witnessing a growing number of young people sleeping rough through her work.
“There’s not a single week that goes by where one of the youths I work with is not struggling with finding housing,” she explained.
“Every week someone is losing their stable housing that they had due to fixed-term leases or unlawful evictions. The process is really difficult to navigate, especially if you’re someone who’s never had to navigate it before.”
Selena described fixed-term leases as an “infringement on human rights.”
“Everyone deserves to have a safe home and a roof over their head,” she said, adding that she’d also like to see more affordable housing available throughout the province.
Selena added that she’s personally experienced the challenges of the current rental market – as she found herself without a place to call her own after her previous home was damaged during the severe flooding that occurred in the province last year.
“I was houseless for a few months,” she said. “Everybody’s struggling with it, wherever you are on the spectrum.”
– with files from Skye Bryden-Blom