NDP leader Claudia Chender speaks to reporters outside of the Nova Scotia legislative chamber on Feb. 14, 2024. (Nova Scotia New Democratic Party)
The number of Nova Scotians waiting for public housing has climbed to more than 8,200, according to new figures obtained through a freedom of information request.
The numbers show the waitlist grew by about 1,200 people in just eight months, reflecting what the NDP says is the growing strain of rising rents across the province. Nearly half of those waiting for public housing are seniors.
Since the Houston government took office in 2021, the waitlist has grown by almost 40 per cent. NDP Leader Claudia Chender said the increase shows families, seniors and young people are being left behind while affordable homes remain out of reach.
“Nova Scotians are worried about affording their homes, and clearly, more people are falling behind,” Chender said in a statement. “The waitlist is rising because people have no other option.”
She accused the government of focusing too much on new high-end developments while failing to protect renters. The NDP is pressing the province to close the fixed-term lease loophole, which allows landlords to sidestep the rent cap when signing a new tenant. Chender pointed to average rent hikes of more than 25 per cent last year in Halifax as evidence that the current system leaves renters exposed.
The party says the impact is hitting seniors especially hard, with many on fixed incomes unable to keep pace with escalating rents.
While the Progressive Conservatives have pledged to add hundreds of new public housing units, the NDP says renters cannot wait years for new construction and need stronger protections now.
