Hundreds of housing units promised for P.E.I. but advocates say supply still 'stagnant'

Officials with P.E.I's Department of Housing, Land and Communities say there are about 20 multi-unit housing projects in the works, either in progress or close to starting, but advocates say whatever is being built is not keeping up with demand. 

Cory Pater of the group P.E.I. Fight for Affordable Housing worries that things are getting worse when it comes to rising rents and supply of housing. 

"We've reached a point where things are kind of stagnant in being really bad," said Pater.

The province says 751 new units will be created that it is involved with, 424 of which will be affordable. Some are already completed, and all are expected to be done by 2025. 

In an email to CBC News, a spokesperson said the provincial government was tackling its own projects, working with developers and community partners, purchasing existing housing stock, and developing a new housing strategy to address needs on the Island. 

But for now, Prince Edward Island's housing crisis continues.

The rental crunch has Jeremy MacDonald and his girlfriend Sydney Rose sticking with his one-bedroom apartment, though they would like something bigger. 

MacDonald knows P.E.I. has a tight housing market, and says there just isn't much out there. 

"There's just a scarcity. Buildings are going up all the time, but it seems that our population is also growing rapidly," he said. "It's just a challenge to find something when you're looking."

The young man has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, so ideally they'd find something easily accessible with wider corridors and doors. 

"All you can do is keep looking and hope that something pops up," he said.

Province calls housing a 'pressing issue'

Having heard many stories like this, Housing, Land and Communities Minister Rob Lantz said the province has some ambitious goals. 

"It's such a pressing issue and a huge priority," he said, adding that affordability is a major concern.  

"Our social housing supply is also a big priority here on top of the private market."

Lantz said his department plans to create more affordable housing, and he hopes a housing strategy will be released by the fall if not sooner. 

Calls for help

Charlottetown-based Kings Square Non-Profit Housing Corporation knows first-hand what the demand is like. It has no spots at any of its buildings right now — and a waiting list of about 300 people.

The group recently built Martha Place in Charlottetown, with 50 affordable units where people pay 25 percent of their income for rent. 

The organization is hoping to create more spots, and is partnering with Pan American Properties Inc. to build an 89-unit apartment complex in Summerside, including 47 units designated as affordable. 

Kings Square administrator Bill Campbell said there's been a huge demand for years, and they often get calls from distraught people.

"They call here and they're very, very upset about losing their home and they don't know where to turn," said Campbell.

He said the need is "not declining the way it should," given how many projects have been announced. 

Campbell said non-profit housing corporations like his could do more if given the opportunity, including complexes with built-in access to things like social services, therapeutical services, and drug counselling. 

"We can do some really good stuff at affordable prices," he said. "We just can't keep up with the demand." 

Another call for rent controls 

Back at the Fight for Affordable Housing, Pater is particularly worried about a recent spate of landlords asking for above-average rent increases, especially before a new provincial cap was imposed this spring. 

"If you're not able to afford it anymore, it's not like there will be too many cheaper options around," he said. 

He would like to see more done to control rents and expand non-profit or co-operative housing.

Pater said enforcement and increasing P.E.I.'s affordable housing supply is important. 

He said new-build projects take a long time. While they are under construction, he would like to see the province buy up existing buildings — something the housing department spokesperson confirmed is a part of P.E.I.'s strategy. 

"It would be fairly simple," Pater said. "You wait for rental housing to show up on the market and you buy it."