By Kendall Worth
I recently interviewed some people who are at risk of becoming homeless, and, I continue to keep in touch with people who are homeless, and, live in shelters, or homeless encampments. The Homeless situation, which I have written plenty about, has been a major factor in Halifax, since COVID. These days, when it comes to a search for affordable housing, the cheapest available price for a studio or one bedroom is $1700-1950 a month – and that is at the ”low end” of rentals. People on Income Assistance are told directly by landlords “we do not take people on Income Assistance. YOU have to be a student or working and have good credit to rent here. “ Landlords are getting more and more inconsiderate of our homeless population these days and landlords with this attitude contribute to the homeless population, or adds to the risk of increasing the homeless population.
I have been hearing the following, from folks in the community I advocate for:
4 Different people I have talked to have told me that they have been told by different landlords when they applied for apartments in Halifax, we do not take people who are on assistance and got turned down for those apartments for that reason.
The city is shutting down the homeless encampment at Lower Finn Park and all the tents have to be removed by the 21st of December.
Some people who have within the past month gotten eviction notices from their landlord have been told by Service Providers that they have to actually be homeless, before they can apply for services through Welcome Housing, Adsum for Women and Children, the Pallet Homes at Beacon House, or a shelter. They cannot apply while they are still in their apartments waiting for the day they have to get out.
Landlords are finding every excuse they can to get folks on assistance kicked out of their buildings. So they can re-rent and jack up the rent for the next tenant.
I have been hearing lately that some income assistance recipients who have lived in the same apartment for years are starting to experience mental health issues from dealing with their landlords not fixing things, and not caring for their buildings like they use to.
Also income assistance recipients having no choice but to move out of their familiar neighbourhoods. For example, having no choice but to move to Dartmouth, or Spryfield, to be able to find affordable rent.
The wait list is 5 to 7 years for rent geared to income units through the Nova Scotia Housing Authority. A lot of people report feeling (without actual evidence)that the Housing authority is prioritizing single parents with kids, and Seniors, over others, these days.
It is very hard to find affordable housing for anyone, these days, not just those on income Assistance. Affordable should be defined as 30% or less of one’s gross income, but it does not always mean that. Rents are commonly advertised as One Bedroom starting at $1950.00 a month, and that amount is more than 30% of most people’s income! Landlords are calling one bedrooms at $1700 “affordable” these days.
Due to these conditions, there ought to be a service available for people to apply for, on the first day they get an eviction notice. (You do not have to wait to get service from Dal Legal or legal aid in housing like eviction. What service are you referring to? ) No-one should have to spend a week actually living on the street before they can apply for a service. One person I interviewed for this post, got an eviction notice; she must be out of her apt. by the end of this month. When she received the notice, she went to Chebucto Connections - an organization located out in Spryfield - for help. When she told them she had to be out by the end of the month, they actually told her she has to try crashing on friend’ couches, or staying with family members or living in a tent for the first week or two following her eviction, before she can even apply for one of the services that can help.
She contacted MOSH and told them her situation. They also responded saying that their hands are tied as they only provide service to people who are homeless. And this situation is one out of many situations these days.
So, this raises the question, what is someone who does not have friends with couches, or family members, supposed to do while waiting to apply for services? It seems the Tim Houston government is showing no interest in increasing the amount of affordable housing in Nova Scotia. The “Helping To End Homeless In Nova Scotia" Facebook page continues to show evidence of all the ways that situations can contribute to being “down and out” and leading them to be at risk of homelessness.
I also hear these days from university students, who find it harder and harder to find affordable places to live. That makes me reflect on the Carrie Ann Budgen story. When Carrie Ann left Halifax to move home to Newfoundland in December 2023, the cheapest advertised rent was $1700 a month for either a studio or one bedroom. Now, the cheapest advertised is $1900.00 a month. It would be impossible for Carrie Ann to move back to Halifax, today. As Carrie Ann said in her own words Displayed in this post, her price range was $1300 a month. $1700 a month then, was $400 over and above the most she could afford. Today the cheapest being $1950.00 is $650.00 beyond the most she can afford. Other University Students, who saw this story, told me, this rent price range for students does not only apply to Carrie Ann. This price range applies to any University Student who is looking to live off campus these days.
So the real question is, when is the government going to finally do something about the housing crisis and make a stock of affordable housing available? I talked about a possible solution in this post – but no one wants to build an apartment where rents would only be 30% of someones’ income.
So what is the solution? And when can a solution be available?
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Kendall Worth is an award-winning anti-poverty activist who lives with disabilities and tries to make ends meet on income assistance.
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