About half of the 7,000 Nova Scotians waiting for public housing are seniors

About half of the 7,020 households on Nova Scotia’s public housing wait-list are seniors, prompting criticism from the opposition regarding government inaction. Deputy Minister of Housing Byron Rafuse revealed that seniors also represent over half of the 1,800 low-income residents in the province’s public housing units. NDP Leader Claudia Chender expressed that the government should feel ashamed of the number of seniors struggling to make ends meet, highlighting their fixed incomes amidst rising living costs. Liberal housing critic Braedon Clark described the situation as “disappointing and incredibly sad.”

Despite these challenges, Rafuse mentioned that the government is making progress in reducing wait times, now averaging 1.7 years. The turnaround time for preparing units has decreased by 25% since December 2022, now taking approximately 134 days. The province has allocated $58.8 million for 273 new public housing units, with 17 already occupied, marking the first such builds since the 1990s. Critics argue that the government’s housing plans are insufficient and call for more support for non-profit organizations capable of creating affordable housing. The Affordable Housing Association recently reported 1,287 homeless individuals in Halifax, underscoring the urgent housing crisis.

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