Saskatchewan Justice Minister, Don Morgan says effective August 4th the government is lifting the suspension of evictions in the province.
Morgan says that day, the office of residential tendencies will once again be receiving and processing applications for eviction. He adds that when the process was initially started the government indicated that it was rent deferment, not a rent holiday. Morgan says, as people go back to work and get back to a normal situation, the Office of Residential Tenancies will probably develop some protocols and give people the ability to pay back over time, but we are leaving that in their capable hands.
Morgan says hearing officers for the Office of Residential Tenancies will be looking at individual situations on a case by case basis. He says for example, if both spouses have lost their jobs, been laid off and ran out of other resources, in those cases they may give you “x” number of months to amortize it over a period of time. Morgan says they are aware that more and more people are going back to work all the time and are hopeful it’s a sign the economy is coming back to life.
Last month the Saskatchewan Landlord Association said since the beginning of the pandemic, over $30 million is now owed to Saskatchewan landlords.
NDP Responds to Lifting of Eviction Moratorium
NDP Justice Critic Nicole Sarauer responded to the announcement, saying the Saskatchewan Party has no plan to ensure families who have made great personal and financial sacrifices during the Covid-19 lock-down are able to stay in their homes. She says a spike in evictions as the economy re-opens and as parents prepare to send their kids back to school would be disruptive for the economy and for families. Sarauer adds the province needs to sit down with landlords and tenants and come back with a plan to ensure that we do not see families who have acted in good faith put out on the street.