Province looking to fill vacant government housing units
Saskatchewan has the lowest rental vacancy rate in nearly a decade but the provincial government has four times more empty apartments than average, which has the province trying new ways to fill suites.
The Saskatchewan government has 1,000 vacant suites for rent in Regina and Saskatoon but you probably won’t see them advertised on Kijiji.
“Basically just saying for rent would imply that anyone can come in and rent it but we do try to serve people most in housing need,” said Louise Michaud, president of the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation.
CMHC reports a vacancy rate of just over 3 per cent in Regina and Saskatoon, the lowest in nearly a decade. The public housing vacancy rate is four times that. The NDP think there are too many barriers to entry.
“That will mean relaxing the present day barriers. I know for example if you have utility arrears, you are not eligible for social housing,” said NDP MLA Meara Conway.
The government wants to address its high vacancy rate.
“We are absolutely concerned about our vacancy rate,” Michaud said.
It recently allowed single people to share units with roommates. Ten units were offered for rent and quickly snapped up. It’s also allowing younger people in seniors housing.
“We are using our housing units and our housing portfolio to provide the best possible service to people who are in housing need,” Michaud said.
The vacant units in Regina and Saskatoon represent millions of dollars in lost revenue annually. The current government has used cost as rationale for selling buses and liquor stores but has no plan to sell off its Regina and Saskatoon stock of vacant housing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
What new auto insurance reforms will mean for Ontarians, if they get introduced
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.