There are solutions to end the housing crisis and make life more affordable for the majority of people, what’s needed is action.
The Nova Scotia Alternative Budget (NSAB) released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Nova Scotia Office (CCPA-NS) calls for sweeping changes in housing, insurance, utilities, food, transportation and more.
“As the price of everything continues to rise, many people are struggling with higher costs for groceries, transportation, utilities, and insurance. The Nova Scotia Alternative Budget provides implementable solutions to address the high cost of living,” says Dr. Christine Saulnier, director of CCPA-NS and Co-Coordinator of the NSAB.
“The alternative budget shifts the focus from supporting the few who benefit from outsourcing and offshoring, privatization, and resource extraction, to supporting the many who want a more equal, democratic, caring, and sustainable society. Now more than ever, we need alternative ideas about how to organize our economy and society,” adds Saulnier.
Economist Dr. James Sawler says: “Nova Scotia’s fiscal position is strong. The debt-to-GDP ratio is much lower than years ago, and the debt is locked in at low interest rates. The province has plenty of space for an expansive fiscal policy focused on long-term investments in housing and reducing poverty.”
“We can end the housing crisis by building more non-profit, cooperative and public housing, keeping people in their homes, and enforcing the existing laws to protect tenants,” said Dr. Catherine Leviten-Reid from Cape Breton University, leader of the working group on housing for the alternative budget. “We also urgently need to implement new tenant protections, which we will do through a landlord licensing system introduced in this budget.“
Leviten-Reid adds, “The government’s focus is on building homes for the upper end of the income spectrum; this trickle-down approach is a failing strategy and will not solve the housing crisis.”
“Governments can put more money in people’s pockets by opening public grocery stores to lower food costs, creating new transit options to get you where you need to go, and introducing public insurance to reduce your car and home insurance payments,” said Kyle Buott, Co-Coordinator of the NSAB. “All of these ideas are already in action somewhere in North America. It can be done and should be.”
