Rent hike protest reaches legislative steps

About100 people gathered on the steps of the legislature Thursday to protest the province's rising rents.

Tenants, opposition MLAs and community workers said without some form of controls on rental increases, homelessness in Alberta is going to get worse.

Rhonda Spence, whosaid she has spent time living on the streets because of high rents, wants the government do more.

"They talk about all this money that's supposed tocoming for housing —well, where is it right now? It's not going to do anything for us right now," she said.

Last month, the provincial government set aside $447 million over the next three years for affordable housing.

Members of thelegislature gave first reading Wednesdayto a bill thatwould limit rent increases to once per year.

Spence said landlords will get around that by demanding huge increases all at once, instead of smaller increases over a longer period of time.