Immediate action needed as Nova Scotia rents continue to rise

HALIFAX – The Houston government is not doing nearly enough to support renters as the cost of rent and price of homes continue to rise.

A recent Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives report found that the wage required to afford rent without spending more than 30 per cent of one’s income on housing is $24.38 for a one-bedroom apartment and $29.29 for a two-bedroom apartment. At the time the data was collected, the combined income of two full-time minimum wage workers was not enough to afford a two-bedroom unit.

“We hear from Nova Scotians who cannot afford their homes nearly every day. Housing is a human right and should not be treated as a luxury,” said Nova Scotia New Democrat Housing Spokesperson Suzy Hansen. “The Houston government could fix this by implementing real rent control and greater renter protections, but have so far refused.”

The report also found that rents for new tenants went up by an average of 23 per cent between October 2022 and October 2023. The fixed-term lease loophole in Nova Scotia allows landlords to raise rents far above the five per cent cap because the cap does not apply to new renters.

“Nova Scotia is choosing not to crack down on fixed-term leases, which have become more common since the enactment of rent increase guidelines,” the report said. “Provincial governments have the regulatory authority to stop abusive rent increases today, but they are choosing not to.”

According to the 2022 census, 32.2 per cent of Nova Scotian households rent their homes and 25 per cent of renters are in core housing need.

“Nova Scotians are increasingly unable to afford housing and the Houston government has no serious solutions on the table. The fact that someone earning $25 an hour in Nova Scotia literally can’t afford a home is unacceptable,” said NSNDP Leader Claudia Chender. “We need serious investments in housing that Nova Scotians can actually afford and stable and predictable rent control with increases tied to CPI.”

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