CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Over 15 months after the legislature passed a motion calling for the creation of an online searchable registry of apartment rental prices in P.E.I., the province’s minister of social development and housing says money has been committed for the task.
During question period on Wednesday, Brad Trivers confirmed that he has been discussing with staff of the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC) about the creation of a rental registry. The registry would allow tenants the information needed to challenge rent increases before IRAC that are unlawful.
“I want to commit, right now, today, we have funds earmarked, and we’re going to go out and we’re going to find out exactly how we can do a rental registry properly,” Trivers told the legislature.
“We want to make sure we build something that's going to work.” — Brad Trivers
In an interview, Trivers said his department has committed funds for a study to be done on the creation of a registry, including details on its cost and scope.
“When people say rental registry, we have to define exactly what that means,” Trivers said.
“We want to make sure we build something that's going to work.”
Trivers said no other jurisdiction in Canada has implemented a rental registry.
He did not provide a timeline for the completion of the study or a date for when the registry would actually be in place.
"I'm the new minister of social development and housing. I'm taking it in my portfolio and driving it forward," Trivers said, when asked why the process has been delayed more than a year.
The average rent for two-bedroom apartments has risen 18 per cent since 2015, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
IRAC currently limits increases in rent to one per cent. But tenant groups have suggested that landlords are often illegally increasing rents after a tenant moves out, without the knowledge of the new tenant. Tenants who move into a new apartment often do not know if their rent has been increased beyond the amount allowed by IRAC. An increase in rent above the IRAC limits can only be challenged by a tenant currently living in the unit.
Some housing advocates have been encouraging tenants to send a greeting card to their old apartments after they move out, with details of the rent they paid.
Green MLA Hannah Bell, who introduced the original motion calling for the creation of a registry in 2019, said Trivers’ action has come too late for many tenants.
“The absence of the rental registry (has) created the situation currently where you've got grassroots campaigns filling the gap,” Bell said.
In question period on Wednesday, Bell spoke about a social media posting from a P.E.I. landlord, who threatened to create a registry of bad tenants.
“Will you take immediate action to address the breach of privacy that is occurring by the creation of a bad tenants list by some landlords in P.E.I.?” Bell said.
“Absolutely,” answered Natalie Jameson, the minister responsible for IRAC.
🧐 Not a great look from an Island landlord. https://t.co/GrVkbbz7CA
— HousingPEI (@HousingPei) March 2, 2021
Trivers drew fire from the Opposition bench related to remarks made on Tuesday, during debate on a motion calling “better support for Island youth.” At the time, Trivers appeared to question the premise that youth are underemployed, are paid inadequate wages or are precariously employed
“I think what we need from our elected officials is we need people who are going to support the youth and not encourage them to be victims,” Trivers said.
Trivers, the minister who is charged with delivery programs for low-income Islanders, also appeared to dispute the presence of “precarious employment” on P.E.I.
“I personally don’t see a lot of precarious employment. I see a lot of employment opportunities out there.”
Trivers also said government should address lack of paid sick leave, agreed that wages were often inadequate and said youth were often “starting at the bottom of the ladder” in jobs.
Trivers apologized for the remarks on Wednesday, calling his comments “uninformed”.
“What I'm apologizing for is the entire approach," Trivers said in an interview Wednesday.
"I did start off and start talking about how I did appreciate the youth so much."
Bell called the remarks “tone-deaf”.
"His apology, while appreciated, was so brief that if I had sneezed, I would have missed it," she said.
"People lose confidence in government when people in his position say things like that.”
Stu Neatby is the political reporter for The Guardian. [email protected] @stu_neatby
