Senior residents of a Regina housing complex are sounding the alarm as they face devastating rent increases of up to 96% set to take effect in 2026, leaving many wondering how they will afford to stay in their homes.
Seniors Trapped Between Unaffordable Rent and Uninhabitable Conditions
Janet McKay finds herself in an impossible situation. She moved to Sacred Heart Manor after being driven from her previous Regina Housing Authority residence by severe pest infestations. "I left there and moved to my current location because I couldn't live with the bugs," McKay explained, her voice breaking with emotion. "The bed bugs and the cockroaches were unmanageable, and I can't go back to that."
Now facing a 96% rent increase scheduled for 2026, McKay worries about her future. As a senior living on a fixed income, she cannot absorb such a dramatic cost increase and feels she has nowhere else to turn.
Multiple Residents Facing Similar Financial Crisis
McKay isn't alone in her predicament. Joanne Hubick, another resident of Sacred Heart Manor, is confronting a 74% rent increase. "We can't afford this," Hubick stated plainly. "We're asking for rent control because we have no knowledge as to what's going to happen next. What's the guarantee a month from now that they're not going to raise it?"
The Saskatchewan government explains that Sacred Heart Manor operated under a 35-year agreement through the Innovative Housing Program. In an emailed statement, the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation confirmed that the operating agreement ends on January 1, 2026, after which rental subsidies will cease.
Political Battle Over Rent Control Legislation
The situation has sparked political controversy in Saskatchewan. NDP MLA and housing critic April ChiefCalf called the impending rent increases "absolutely atrocious" and expressed deep concern about affordability for seniors on fixed incomes.
"It is unethical in this province of Saskatchewan to have the seniors who built our province facing these kinds of rent hikes that they simply cannot afford," ChiefCalf declared.
The NDP is attempting to pass rent control legislation during the current session that would tie maximum rent increases to the consumer price index. However, the Saskatchewan Party government has stated it will vote against the proposed legislation.
Deputy Premier Jim Reiter defended the government's position, arguing that "while well-intended, rent control in every jurisdiction that's tried, it just doesn't work." Reiter maintained during Wednesday's question period that "It has the opposite effect. It dries up investment."
The Saskatchewan Housing Corporation did note that rental rates will be paused for six months following the agreement's expiration, providing temporary relief but no long-term solution for residents like McKay and Hubick who face an uncertain housing future.
