Rally planned to fight for rent cap to continue

Protests around homelessness and the rent conditions that lead to it in Halifax continue Thursday with a planned community event at the Nova Scotia legislature.

Keep the Cap is being organized by Nova Scotia chapter of ACORN, a national organization with a membership of low- and moderate-income people who advocate for that segment of the population on a variety of issues.

On its Facebook page, the local chapter says the new provincial PC government has been clear that it is not extending existing rent control restrictions in the province once the state of emergency declared at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic is lifted, and that tenants need to fight to keep the cap in place.

Organizers say the event will start at 10 a.m. and go on all day, featuring speakers, food, music, banners and chants.

ACORN says it has received numerous complaints from tenants whose landlords have told them their rent will increase by the two per cent that is legally allowed, but that if the state of emergency is lifted the rent will increase from $100 up to $1,000 dollars per month.