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Housing & Homelessness platforms

Here's what the candidates in District 18: Rustico - Emerald, and their parties, are promising.

Affordable housing

Green

  • Require a percentage of new housing units to be affordable

    "Inclusionary zoning is a planning tool that requires a certain number of new housing units to be affordable. We would work with municipalities to enact planning policies that promote more affordable units." — peigreens.ca backgrounder, 2023-03-20

  • Consider creating a public developer to build public/non-profit housing

    "Explore the creation of a public developer to build public and non-profit housing. This could be done in partnership with other Atlantic provinces." — peigreens.ca backgrounder, 2023-03-09

  • Create a co-op registry to encourage more co-op housing

    "Establish a co-op registry to bring together Islanders and encourage the creation of additional co-op housing, including student-led housing cooperatives." — peigreens.ca backgrounder, 2023-03-09

  • Spend at least $100M over 4 years to convert existing buildings into public housing

    "Commit at least $100 million over four years to buy existing residential and commercial accommodations and convert them into public housing." — peigreens.ca, 2023-03-09

  • Give government a right-of-first-refusal on the sale of multi-unit buildings

    "Establish a right of first refusal on the sale of multi-unit residential and commercial accommodations to ensure government has the first opportunity to buy housing." — peigreens.ca, 2023-03-09

Liberal

  • Create new grant/subsidy programmes to support non-profits and co-ops constructing and operating affordable housing
  • Expand low-cost financing to provide $150M of new incentives over 3 years to non-profits, co-ops, and developers building affordable housing
  • Invest in 500 new, affordable seniors' housing units with assisted-living options

    "Expand in public investments in 500 new, affordable seniors housing units that provide seniors with assisted living options." — Healthcare First: An Action Plan for Islanders, 2023-03-22

  • Create a 10-year plan for providing accommodations to people living with mental illness without stable housing

PC

  • Support and finance establishment of new co-op housing complexes

    "Provide support, mentorship, and financing to establish new co-operative housing complexes across the province by working with communities, non-profits, and regional development corporations so tenants have authority and input into the operation of their buildings" — peipc.ca, 2023-03-15

NDP

  • Legislate a cost definition for housing affordability, at 25% of the average monthly income on minimum wage

    "Legislate the cost definition of affordability using the a formula that is based on minimum wage income. Affordability is calculated at 25% of average monthly income on minimum wage." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

  • Increase support for municipal, co-op, and non-profit housing

    "Increase support for municipal, co-op, community development and service organizations – groups that are selflessly providing housing for those in need." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

  • Create 5K public affordable units, rented out and maintained by the province

    "Invest to create 5,000 public affordable units to be rented out and maintained by the province, providing assured housing stock during hard times." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

  • Require 25% of units in government-funded developments to be affordable for 25 years

    "Require 25 for 25 for government-funded developments, meaning 25% of units are kept affordable for 25 years and developers are locked into this commitment." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

Home construction and supply

Green

  • Amend the Planning Act to improve development processes, promote density and transit corridors, and reduce the loss of farmland

    "The Planning Act exists to provide for efficient planning at the provincial and municipal level, and to encourage the orderly and efficient development of public services. However, the PEI context has evolved greatly since the legislation was first brought in, and as the Land Matters Committee’s final report noted: “The Planning Act is outdated and must be modernized.” A Green government would work to modernize our legislation to resolve outstanding issues and create a planning framework that works for Islanders and their communities." — peigreens.ca backgrounder, 2023-03-20

  • Create a housing action plan

    "Create a new housing action plan to provide longer-term direction for housing initiatives in the province." — peigreens.ca backgrounder, 2023-03-09

  • Support new housing in rural areas
  • Create programmes to address construction labour shortages
  • Provide low-interest loans to housing developers

Liberal

  • Bring back the Cabinet Committee on Housing

    "Re-institute the Cabinet Committee on Housing to provide for leadership and accountability for housing projects and initiatives" — Healthcare First: An Action Plan for Islanders, 2023-03-22

  • Explore building housing developments on crown lands

    "Explore the strategic use of crown land for housing developments in partnership with communities and PEI’s First Nations" — Healthcare First: An Action Plan for Islanders, 2023-03-22

  • Make multi-unit residential properties qualifying business for immigrants to invest in in order to qualify for citizenship

    "Making multi-unit residential properties qualifying businesses for immigrants to invest in in order to qualify for citizenship under provincial immigration programs" — Healthcare First: An Action Plan for Islanders, 2023-03-22

  • Provide financial and HR support to municipalities to speed up building permit approvals and rezoning

    "Provide financial and/or HR support to municipalities to expedite building permit approvals and zoning changes in order to help speed up the construction process" — Healthcare First: An Action Plan for Islanders, 2023-03-22

  • Allow community-funded housing projects to be funded under Community Economic Development Investment Funds

PC

  • Reduce building permit wait time to a maximum of 30 days by year's-end
  • Provide instant building permits during appointments for some types of building permits

    "Introduce Instant Building Permits where permits can be instantly issued during an appointment with a multi-disciplinary team for straight-forward, routine building permits" — peipc.ca, 2023-03-15

  • Provide a $25M fund to municipalities and regional development corporations to develop lots for Islanders to purchase and make modular builds on

    "Provide $25 Million Infrastructure Fund to municipalities and regional development corporations to work with communities outside the capital area to develop construction-ready lots for Islanders to purchase and use for modular builds" — peipc.ca, 2023-03-15

  • Increase the Housing Challenge Fund by $50M to provide 2% financing for quick-start housing projects which add at least 250 units

    "Increase the Housing Challenge Fund by $50 Million Dollars providing developers with 2% financing for quick-start housing projects which will add at least another 250 units to the housing inventory." — peipc.ca, 2023-03-15

  • Invest $500K over two years in international recruitment for PEI's construction workforce

    "Working with the Office of Immigration, the Construction Association of PEI, and local contractors, invest $500,000 over the next two years to build on the Trades Canada program to recruit new workers to join the construction workforce on Prince Edward Island through international recruitment missions" — peipc.ca, 2023-03-15

  • Fund expanded training programmes for the construction industry

    "Provide funding to expand training programs such as the ‘Discover Carpentry’ program to expose more Islanders to the construction industry and provide them with the necessary skills and knowledge to be employable in the industry" — peipc.ca, 2023-03-15

  • Expand in-school vocational training opportunities in the trades

    "Expand vocational training opportunities in our education system to expose students to career options earlier and provide pathways for mentorship and training for young Islanders to express an interest in the construction industry." — peipc.ca, 2023-03-15

NDP

  • Update the housing building code to allow for unique housing structures

    "Update the housing building code to allow for unique housing structures like bunkies, tiny houses and off-grid living." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

Home purchases and ownership

Green

  • Create a flipping and vacant homes tax
  • End blind bidding
  • Appoint a commissioner to make recommendations on restricting housing speculation

    "The Lands Protection Act is Island legislation used to protect land through ownership limits to ensure the ownership of land is not concentrated in the hands of the few. A Green government would pursue a Lands-Protection-Act-styled regulation of housing to ensure homes are available and accessible to Islanders and not controlled by investors who never intend to live in them. A Green government would also appoint an independent commissioner to consult with the public on the design of such regulation, and provide recommendations to government on how best to implement it." — peigreens.ca backgrounder, 2023-03-20

  • Review the Down Payment Assistance Program

    "A Green government would review the Down Payment Assistance Program to ensure that Islanders can use it to purchase housing in the community of choice, recognizing that the cost of housing varies from community to community." — peigreens.ca backgrounder, 2023-03-20

Liberal

  • Provide an interest-reducing subsidy on $200K of a mortgage, up to $4K/year for 5 years, for families with an income of $95K or less

    "Support first-time homebuyers with an OwnFirst program whereby families with an income of $95,000 or less can get an interest-reducing subsidy on the first $200,000 of their mortgage of up to $4000 per year for a period of 5 years" — Healthcare First: An Action Plan for Islanders, 2023-03-22

PC

  • Launch a rent-to-own programme offering opportunities to purchase a home after renting it for 24 months
  • Create a programme to provide first-time home buyers with up to $2,500 for closing costs
  • Create opportunities for tiny home communities in rural PEI

    "Create opportunities for tiny home communities in rural PEI where Islanders can purchase and build equity instead of paying rent" — With You. For You., 2023-03-24

  • Provide up to $3,500/year to assist low-income homeowners with essential upgrades and maintenance

    "Launch a low-income home repair grant to provide up to $3,500 per year to assist low-income homeowners with essential upgrades and maintenance" — With You. For You., 2023-03-24

We don't have any NDP policies on Home purchases and ownership.

Homelessness

Green

  • Guarantee access to basic services like clean water, sanitation facilities, electricity, and heat for those living in encampments
  • Move away from using police to respond to encampments
  • End chronic homelessness by 2025

    "Meet the legislated target of ending chronic homelessness by 2025."

  • Apply a Housing First policy

    "Treat housing as a human right and apply a Housing First policy." — 2023 Election Platform, 2023-03-23

We don't have any Liberal policies on Homelessness.
We don't have any PC policies on Homelessness.
We don't have any NDP policies on Homelessness.

Public housing

Green

  • Increase funding for renovations and repairs of public seniors' housing

    "● increase funding for public housing repairs and renovations;

    ● improve security and access to in-person maintenance support in public housing;

    ● improve access to food programs and technology; and

    ● review eligibility thresholds for seniors public housing." — peigreens.ca backgrounder, 2023-03-17

    "Immediately make repairs to government-owned seniors housing and ensure that maintenance is always up to date." — peigreens.ca backgrounder, 2023-03-17

  • Spend at least $100M over 4 years to convert existing buildings into public housing

    "Commit at least $100 million over four years to buy existing residential and commercial accommodations and convert them into public housing." — peigreens.ca, 2023-03-09

  • Include accessible units in all new public builds
  • Consider creating a public developer to build public/non-profit housing

    "Explore the creation of a public developer to build public and non-profit housing. This could be done in partnership with other Atlantic provinces." — peigreens.ca backgrounder, 2023-03-09

  • Do net-zero retrofits on public housing
  • Give government a right-of-first-refusal on the sale of multi-unit buildings

    "Establish a right of first refusal on the sale of multi-unit residential and commercial accommodations to ensure government has the first opportunity to buy housing." — peigreens.ca, 2023-03-09

  • Spend at least $385M over 5 years to build and repair public housing, including seniors' housing

    "Commit at least $385 million over the next 5 years to build new public housing and repair existing housing, including seniors housing that has been neglected by this government." — peigreens.ca, 2023-03-09

Liberal

  • Create a 10-year plan for providing accommodations to people living with mental illness without stable housing
  • Invest in 500 new, affordable seniors' housing units with assisted-living options

    "Expand in public investments in 500 new, affordable seniors housing units that provide seniors with assisted living options." — Healthcare First: An Action Plan for Islanders, 2023-03-22

We don't have any PC policies on Public housing.

NDP

  • Create 5K public affordable units, rented out and maintained by the province

    "Invest to create 5,000 public affordable units to be rented out and maintained by the province, providing assured housing stock during hard times." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

Rental housing

Green

  • Give IRAC more resources to investigate and consider complaints under the Residential Tenancy Act

    "Give IRAC the resources necessary to investigate and consider complaints under the Residential Tenancy Act in a timely manner." — peigreens.ca backgrounder, 2023-03-09

  • Increase compensation for tenants evicted without cause
  • Regulate privacy protections for prospective tenants when they're being vetted

    "Create regulations setting out what information is permitted to be collected and what information is not during the vetting of prospective tenants." — peigreens.ca backgrounder, 2023-03-09

  • Establish a tenant advocate for IRAC tenancy proceedings
  • Make the renoviction moratorium permanent
  • Create a rental registry to protect people from illegal rents

    "Among other things, a rental registry would log the rent payable in a rental unit in a publicly accessible database; this would allow tenants to verify whether the rent they are paying is in fact legal." — peigreens.ca backgrounder, 2023-03-20

NDP

  • Update the Residential Tenancy Act to better protect renters
  • Create and manage a provincial rent registry
  • Require the same rent to be charged to a new tenant as the previous one

    "Add regulation to maintain the same rent charged to the previous tenant." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09

Shelters and homeless services

Green

  • Expand government-funded emergency and transitional shelter facilities

    "In addition to longer-term measures to ensure Islanders remain housed, a Green Government would immediately invest to expand our government-funded emergency and transitional shelter capacity. We should ensure that there is a shelter bed for every Islander who needs one, and we would work to ensure that shelter beds are available across the province so Islanders can stay in their communities." — peigreens.ca backgrounder, 2023-03-09

PC

  • Invest in a dedicated site in Charlottetown to provide wrap-around services for vulnerable Islanders

    "Invest in a Charlottetown-based dedicated site to provide wrap-around services for vulnerable Islanders, including but not limited to Community Outreach Centre, supportive housing, housing that fosters independent living, harm reduction programs, social supports, training programs, etc." — With You. For You., 2023-03-24

We don't have any NDP policies on Shelters and homeless services.

Short-term rentals

We don't have any Green policies on Short-term rentals.
We don't have any Liberal policies on Short-term rentals.
We don't have any PC policies on Short-term rentals.

NDP

  • Create a Short-Term Rental Act to support municipalities

    "Develop the Short-Term Rental Act to support municipalities facing short-term rental issues, and step in if needed with provincial regulations." — NDP Platform 2023, 2023-03-09