September 12, 2024
Just this week, the Minister of Service Nova Scotia denied that a report from Davis Pier recommended a residential tenancies enforcement unit in Nova Scotia. Now that the report has been made public, it’s clear the Minister wasn’t telling the truth.
On page 10 of the report, there’s a clear recommendation to implement a residential tenancies enforcement unit – something the Nova Scotia Liberals have been pushing for since 2022 that would support both tenants and landlords dealing with lengthy disputes. The report indicates that an enforcement unit could be set up quickly and affordably, would be more fair to tenants, and provide “teeth” to deal with contentious issues, repeated non-compliance, and serious events. Despite receiving wide-ranging support, the Houston Conservatives have refused to act.
“It’s extremely disappointing to see that this government continues to lie about their motives behind a residential tenancies enforcement unit,” said Liberal Leader Zach Churchill. “This report could not be any more clear: the status quo is not working and an enforcement unit is needed in Nova Scotia.”
The government repeatedly says they feel a residential tenancies enforcement unit would add more red tape, but thanks to a similar unit in British Columbia, their residential tenancies cases backlog has been cut in half.
“It’s clear this government had their mind made up on an enforcement unit before they even conducted the report,” said Housing critic Braedon Clark. “Despite repeated questions from our caucus, the Premier still can’t explain the discrepancy between the report and his Minister. It’s time this government is honest with Nova Scotians and follows the clear recommendation to stand up a residential tenancies enforcement unit in Nova Scotia.”