Seniors need more affordable housing options

HALIFAX -- More and more seniors are being affected by the lack of affordable housing options in Nova Scotia. With a one per cent vacancy rate, a plan for expanding the options for affordable housing in our province is required.

“I would just like a decent place to live that I can afford,” said Janet Brush, a Halifax-area renter in her seventies. “For so many people, especially seniors on fixed incomes, we can’t keep having our rents increased with no other options for where to move. I expect this spring I’ll be having to look for somewhere new to live and I don’t know where I’ll be able to find something I can afford.”

Brush is especially concerned about having to move because she doesn’t drive and will be isolated if she can’t find affordable housing on the Halifax peninsula.

“We know that it’s getting harder and harder for people to find an affordable place to live,” said NDP Housing spokesperson Lisa Roberts. “We need to have government policy that makes sure people are not pushed out of their communities by massive rental increases, and where the government supports community and non-profit affordable housing projects.”

The NDP is calling for serious investments to be made in publicly-owned, co-op, and non-profit housing to ensure there are enough options for those looking for affordable housing. This could include a right of first refusal for the provincial government or municipalities to acquire housing that would then be publicly owned or transfered to non-profits or co-ops.

According to the Canadian Rental Housing Index, over half of renters over 65 spend more than 30 per cent of their income on rent and utilities.

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