Alberta’s NDP leader, Rachel Notley has called upon the UCP government to provide financial support for Albertans struggling with paying rent during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NDP’s proposed plan is very similar to British Columbia’s recently introduced plan. The plan calls for Jason Kenney’s UCP government to provide rental support of $300 per month for eligible households with no dependants, and $500 per month for eligible households with dependants. Eligibility would include anyone that has reduced income by 25% due to COVID-19 and their current rent is more than 30% of their income. It also includes anyone currently on a wait-list for rental assistance, receiving Employment Insurance, or on the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit.
“These are people who struggle to put food on the table at the best of times, let alone in the middle of a pandemic.”
Notley also has called onto the UCP to extend the eviction ban that ends at the end of April; to July. Alberta was one of the last provinces to adopt the measures and Notley pleaded many are close to getting evicted saying “These are people who struggle to put food on the table at the best of times, let alone in the middle of a pandemic.”
The NDP also focused on the UCP’s budget cuts in 2019 to the Rental Assistance Program. They say the unprecedented job losses and oil crash in March and April this year have further compounded financial issues for many Albertans. Notley says “the program was far oversubscribed before the UCP cut 45 million dollars from it, so people cannot sustain this situation for a long period of time. We know it’s what folks need in order to give them piece of mind of having the security of their home over the next few months.”
-Erika Rolling, Trending 55 News
