By Lyndsay Armstrong
Responding to reporters questions after a cupboard assembly Thursday, Houston mentioned this system introduced in August 2023 was one in all many choices his authorities has tried to ease the housing crunch.
“Do I want the outcomes had been higher? In fact I do. However we tried it, and the existence of Happipad related some folks with housing. There are in all probability individuals who might have been homeless if not for Happipad,” Houston mentioned.
“So do I want there have been extra folks related? In fact I do. However we tried it and it labored for some folks and we’re carried out with it now,” he added.
Houston’s authorities confirmed to The Canadian Press earlier this month that it had terminated this system and thought of it to be successful. However opposition events criticized the low variety of leases signed, saying the federal government had failed to assist Nova Scotians discover inexpensive houses.
The preliminary outcomes from the $1.35 million program point out it wound up costing greater than $22,000 per lease.
When requested if he believes this system was a very good use of taxpayer cash, the premier mentioned “to the folks that received a lease, I’d say it’s.”
The non-profit group known as Happipad dealt with background checks, matched renters with houses, and picked up lease. The provincial authorities has mentioned its funding, at $675,000 yearly for 2 years, allowed the platform to waive person charges. It additionally paid for the prices of organising the web site and for advertising and marketing.
In the meantime, Nova Scotia’s official Opposition known as on the premier to re-establish a division devoted to housing and appoint a full-time minister to supervise the portfolio.
In a letter despatched to the premier early Thursday morning, NDP Chief Claudia Chender criticized Houston’s determination in December to mix the housing and financial growth departments to create the Division of Progress and Growth.
She additionally mentioned the province wants a housing minister whose sole focus is making houses inexpensive, defending renters and opening paths to house possession.
“Below your management, Nova Scotia is within the midst of an unprecedented housing disaster… One in every of your first actions taken below your new mandate was to eliminate a devoted Division of Housing, relegating this significant portfolio below the Division of Progress and Growth,” Chender mentioned within the letter.
The NDP chief mentioned seniors who should retire in dignity are struggling to maintain up with large lease hikes and plenty of younger folks have misplaced hope of ever proudly owning a house. Her letter additionally factors to Statistics Canada information exhibiting that the price of residing in Halifax for housing and transportation is corresponding to that of Toronto.
When requested if he would think about reinstating a devoted division of housing with a full-time minister appointed to the function, Houston mentioned “there’s a housing minister on this province.”
A spokesperson with the premier’s workplace confirmed the housing minister he’s referring to is in truth Progress and Growth Minister Colton LeBlanc, who oversees the housing portfolio.
A spokesperson for LeBlanc’s division mentioned in an emailed assertion that housing is among the authorities’s prime priorities, as is the economic system.
“They go hand in hand and that’s the reason we introduced each priorities below one roof,” mentioned Chrissy Matheson.
Chender disagrees.
“Now we have a Minister of Progress and Growth who, buried someplace in his tasks, has housing,” she advised reporters on Thursday. “And the premier’s assertion that the minister is doing a very good job is immediately refuted by the info. What Nova Scotians want from this premier is housing they will afford, and they don’t seem to be getting that.”
The Division of Progress and Growth spokesperson mentioned the province’s dedication to housing is clear within the “a whole lot of thousands and thousands of {dollars} in generational funding we’ve been making, the 1000’s of individuals and households we received into houses quicker, and the work underway to construct new public housing for the primary time in many years.”
Matheson additionally mentioned the variety of new housing building tasks had elevated 38% year-over-year, with emptiness charges rising above two per cent for the primary time in years. She mentioned these numbers point out the market is stabilizing.
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Atlantic Claudia Chender Colton LeBlanc Happipad Lyndsay Armstrong Nova Scotia Regional residential building The Canadian Press Tim Houston
Final modified: July 11, 2025
