The Opposition presented the first of what it promises will be many petitions calling on the Saskatchewan Party government to reinstate a unique housing program that allowed families in remote northern communities to buy their own homes.
Under the program, qualified tenants would help build the home and would then rent it from SaskHousing until they could qualify for a mortgage.
Part of their down payment would come from a forgivable government loan.
Athabasca MLA Buckley Belanger says people that were renting for years have finally improved their financial situation and could qualify to own.
Belanger says they are being told it is too late and many are being hit by huge rent increases. He says it makes no sense:
“Why would they do that? It doesn’t make any sense from the taxpayers’ perspective. It doesn’t make any sense from the perspective of the working people, and a lot of these tenants or potential homeowners are really, really upset and I don’t think we have heard the last of this.”
SaskHousing minister June Draude says the program ran from 1995 until 2011. She says tenants were given up to a year’s notice the program was ending. She says anyone who could afford to buy the property was given the chance. Draude also says there were many problems with the program:
“We also did a bit of a study after and we found there were some individuals who lost their home who were having difficulty doing not just the upkeep on the house, but the whole financial understanding like the taxes and the maintenance that were involved — so we thought the program was something that should be re-looked at and that program was brought to an end.”
Draude says she is meeting with the mayors and residents of remote northern communities looking for a better way to address the housing needs.
She says she is encouraged and optimistic about the discussions.
Meanwhile, the NDP says it will be intensifying its campaign to have the program reinstated. It plans to submit more petitions to the legislature and get the support of First Nation and Metis groups in its efforts to have the program put back in place.
About 138 families bought homes under the program.