Nova Scotia’s Liberals are calling for the Houston government to immediately work with

Ottawa to remove the provincial portion of the HST on the construction of new purposebuilt

rental units.

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The federal government has announced it will remove the GST on new purpose-built

rental housing. Provinces like Ontario have already indicated they want to work with the

federal government to remove the provincial portion of the tax, and Nova Scotia should

follow suit immediately.

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“Tackling the housing crisis requires decisive action at all levels of government,” said

Opposition Leader Zach Churchill. “Rather than pointing blame at everyone else, now is

the perfect opportunity for the Houston government to make a bold policy change that has

the potential to increase the supply of rental units and lower rents over time."

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Just this week, the Houston government revealed a budget surplus and a staggering $2

billion in unexpected revenue this past fiscal year. With an epidemic of homelessness and

people everywhere struggling to pay their rent or mortgage, the extra money must be

directed toward affordable housing.

 

“Whether it’s failing to build affordable housing or missing their own deadline on a

provincial housing strategy, it’s clear that solving the housing crisis has never been a

priority for this government,” said Housing shadow minister Braedon Clark. “Removing the

provincial portion on rental builds would be a major step forward in solving a housing crisis

that the Houston government has ignored for far too long.”