Sask. auditor says high social housing vacancy rates in Regina need to be addressed
Saskatchewan’s auditor says Regina had nearly 18 per cent of all social housing vacancies in the province at one point in 2024.
According to Auditor Tara Clemett’s report released on Tuesday, the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation had 534 vacant social housing units across the province, but Regina in particular accounted for 17.8 per cent of them in May of 2024.
Clemett says that indicates improved plans are needed for social housing in Regina to address high rates.
“Over the past several years, Regina not only had the most vacancies, but also the highest vacancy rate in corporation-owned units,” Clemett said in her report.
According to Clemett, in 2020, Regina’s vacancy rates among corporation-owned units was 18.1 per cent. That followed increases to 23.2 per cent and 24.9 per cent the next two years before dropping to 21.8 per cent and 16.2 per cent in 2023 and 2024.
“Through its Social Housing Program, the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation aims to provide safe, adequate rental housing and subsidize rents based on financial need. The Corporation owned about 3,000 social housing units in Regina as of June 2024, and the Regina Housing Authority managed these units,” the report outlined.
In Tuesday’s report, Clemett made eight recommendations in total.
“The Saskatchewan Housing Corporation does not regularly assess how long Social Housing Program applicants wait or why, or types of units requested (e.g., number of bedrooms needed). It also does not sufficiently track and analyze its vacant units (e.g., types and duration of units under repair) or trends in demand to determine where to focus repairs,” the report outlined.
“Doing so might help the corporation identify changes needed to its housing portfolio and inform plans to get chronically vacant units back into service.”
Other recommendations made my Clemett included:
- Complete its forecast of long-term social housing needs in Regina to sufficiently identify gaps
- Identify and respond to possibly over-housed social housing tenants in Regina (i.e., tenants living in units too large for their needs)
- Enhance its operational reviews of the Regina Housing Authority
- Report progress on improving building conditions of social housing units in Regina
The full report can be found here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Jubilation and gunfire as Syrians celebrate the end of the Assad family's half-century rule
Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire on Sunday after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, putting an end to the Assad family's 50 years of iron rule but raising questions about the future of the country and the wider region.
Trump calls for 'immediate ceasefire' in Ukraine after meeting Zelenskyy in Paris
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Sunday called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, shortly after a meeting in Paris with French and Ukrainian leaders, claiming Kyiv 'would like to make a deal' to end the more than 1,000-day war.
Baby found dead in south Edmonton parking lot: police
Police are investigating the death of an infant in south Edmonton.
Digging themselves out: With Santa Claus parade cancelled, Londoners make best of snowy situation
Londoners continue to dig themselves out from this week’s massive snowstorm.
Quebec Premier meets with Trump, Zelenskyy and Musk during Paris trip
Quebec Premier François Legault met up with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk while visiting Paris this weekend.
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly focused on re-election, doesn’t explicitly rule out future Liberal leadership bid
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly insisted she supports Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and is focused on her own re-election, but wouldn't explicitly rule out a future Liberal leadership bid, in an interview on CTV's Question Period airing Sunday.
Superior Court authorizes class action against junior hockey league over abuse of minors
The Quebec Superior Court authorized the institution of a class action aimed at compensating all minors who suffered abuse while playing in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
Longer careers in hockey are linked to greater risk of CTE: study
The largest study ever done on the brains of male hockey players has found the odds of getting a neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated traumatic brain injuries increases with each year played.
opinion The Trump shadow presidency forces Biden further into the background
Not waiting until the official swearing-in, Donald Trump has already begun to exert his influence over U.S. foreign policy as president-elect, writes Washington political analyst Eric Ham in his column for CTVNews.ca.