By Lyndsay Armstrong
Within the yr since Nova Scotia invested in an internet platform aimed toward serving to renters discover reasonably priced housing, a complete of 23 leases have been signed, a consequence opposition events say is a failure.
On Aug. 4, 2023, the province stated it will give $1.3 million over two years to Happipad — a Canadian non-profit home-sharing software that matches householders who’ve empty rooms with renters who want housing. As of July 31, the Housing Division says a complete of 60 rooms had been listed and 23 leases signed.
Minister of Housing John Lohr was not made accessible for an interview Thursday; as an alternative, Superior Training Minister Brian Wong spoke about this system on behalf of the federal government.
“I’m happy with the entire idea of Happipad and its potential,” Wong stated in an interview, declining to say if he’s glad that the $1.3-million program has to date resulted in lower than 25 signed leases.
“We most likely would have hoped that we’d have extra, however that’s within the making proper now.”
There was a latest uptake in this system, Wong stated, with seven leases signed in July — essentially the most in any month because the province’s funding announcement final yr. The platform presently has 589 folks registered as hosts.
He stated the home-sharing mannequin is an effective one, and the Happipad platform could possibly be a perfect match for college and school college students in Nova Scotia, significantly these from exterior of Canada.
“Think about a world scholar coming to Nova Scotia that actually doesn’t know the way Nova Scotia works or how our Canadian tradition is, then you definately’re dwelling with someone that may enable you navigate our communities, possibly assist worldwide college students, for instance, fall in love with Nova Scotia and need to keep right here,” Wong stated.
The provincial funding permits for charges to be waived for customers of the platform; it additionally pays for the executive prices of establishing the web site in Nova Scotia, and for advertising and marketing.
Nova Scotia NDP Chief Claudia Chender referred to as the challenge a “failure” and a poor use of cash.
“We’d like exponential development in new housing, and we have to give attention to housing that’s reasonably priced. This does neither of these issues,” she stated in an interview Thursday.
Happipad could also be “a short-term (housing) answer for a handful of individuals, however that’s not what we’ve been promised and that’s not what we’re searching for. So I believe it’s very disappointing,” Chender stated.
Liberal Chief Zach Churchill echoed Chender’s disappointment.
“The truth that solely 23 leases have been signed by way of an app that the Houston authorities sunk $1.3 million into is just unacceptable — that’s $56,000 per lease,” he stated Thursday.
“That is simply additional proof that (Premier) Tim Houston’s plan to handle the housing disaster is nothing greater than smoke and mirrors and does nothing to assist Nova Scotians discover housing they’ll afford.”
A Housing Division spokesperson stated the necessity for housing is pressing and the province is “laser centered” on options, including that the federal government has developed a $1.7-billion housing plan that “will create the situations” for 41,000 new houses in Nova Scotia.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Aug. 22, 2024.
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Final modified: August 23, 2024