NDP Housing Critic Lori Sigurdson issued the following statement in response to today’s rental assistance announcement by the UCP:
“The UCP’s mishandling of rental supplements has hurt vulnerable Albertans. I have received numerous letters from tenants in affordable housing who can no longer afford their home because they received notices that their subsidy was ending on March 31 this year. The uncertainty the UCP caused these Albertans has been nothing short of cruel.
“Let’s remember, in Budget 2019, the UCP cut rental assistance by 24 per cent and Budget 2020 cut housing maintenance by $53 million which made many affordable housing units uninhabitable. None of today’s UCP spin makes up for the harm already done.
“Moreover, these changes come from the same panel review report that also clearly outlines the UCP’s belief that the province should no longer be the owner of affordable housing. The UCP must come clean on whether or not they intend to sell off provincially owned housing; homes meant for those in need.
“Jason Kenney continues to ignore requests from municipalities across the province for increased investment into affordable housing. Through the National Housing Strategy, the federal government offers numerous opportunities for investment and partnership, yet the UCP does not want to pay their share. If the UCP were actually concerned about helping Albertans escape poverty, they would invest boldly into doing it.”