Manitoba Government Increasing Rental Rates for Low-income Tenants

Low-incomes earners are to see rental prices go higher as the Manitoba government makes changes to rental costs.

Landlords and tenants in the public housing apartments are to expect letters from the province informing them to increase on their rents during the course of the year by 28% of a tenant’s monthly earnings.

This figure is an increase from what is currently charged as rental cost which is presently at 25% for bachelor suites and 27% for bigger apartments.

These new changes come as the government earlier on announced new changes for low-income earners who are in the private rental market. However these changes are not meant for people who are on welfare.

According to the Manitoba Housing, this new change is expected to carter for the needy people and the program is to be an ongoing one. However Make Poverty History, a poverty-rights group noted that these new changes will not favor low-income tenants as they are presently finding it difficult to pay their rental charges and this new rental changes will imply that tenants have to pay an additional 60% on rent each month.

Speaking on the subject, chairman of the group Josh Brandon noted that currently renters living in social housing are living under the poverty standard and they have to be cautious on their expenditure.

Brandon went on to add that, any significant change made on people living in social housing will bring them more challenges as they get to find other sources of income or cut down on their living standards.

It will come to a point wherein such people will have to forfeit on some basic necessities.