Students Nova Scotia Applauds Creation of Provincial Student Housing Strategy
Halifax, NS - Today, the Government of Nova Scotia announced a number of supports to enhance the safety and affordability of housing in the province, a welcome measure in the face of Nova Scotia’s ongoing housing crisis. This announcement highlighted a range of investments, including the creation of new affordable housing units and construction projects across the province. Students Nova Scotia is particularly excited to see that today's announcement included a plan to develop a province-wide student housing strategy, which will focus on increasing affordability of housing for students while lessening the demands on the province’s limited housing supply.
“We are thrilled to see the Houston government prioritize the creation of safe and affordable student housing options,” said Ben Fairhurst, Chair of StudentsNS. “Students face many unique barriers when seeking out housing in the province, and the development of a strategy that seeks to identify and provide solutions to these barriers is a welcome measure.”
Some of the barriers include instances of students choosing to avoid purchasing groceries, textbooks and other necessities in order to afford their rent, or students cohabiting in units designed for fewer tenants due to a lack of sufficient housing options. Furthermore, students often have an incomplete knowledge of their rights as tenants, which can lead some to live in unsafe conditions that violate the terms of their lease without complaint for fear of eviction.
Tens of thousands of students travel from other areas of the province and country - as well as from outside of Canada - in order to attend college and university throughout the school year. This results in a centralization of renters in areas already experiencing challenges in housing affordability and supply. Halifax is a prime example, where a large number of universities and college campuses are located and current vacancy rates hover around 1.9%, a marginal increase from last year’s record low of 1%.
Within rural regions of the province, students have reported increasing challenges in finding accomodations, with small university towns facing levels of demand that far exceed the available supply. The available options are often more expensive than students can afford or are at a distance from campus, leaving many with no option but to travel if they choose to access postsecondary education.Limited capacity in residence further pushes students to seek out off-campus alternatives, which in turn decreases availability of affordable housing options for other Nova Scotians.
“The development of student-specific housing supports and resources will greatly enhance the accessibility and affordability of education for those studying here, while lessening the demand on housing resources that are already stretched,” said Matthew Stanbrook, Vice-Chair of Students Nova Scotia. “We are looking forward to working with government and other relevant stakeholders to bring forth student perspectives in the creation of this strategy”.