Why some young Nova Scotians say they can't afford to stay in the province
CBC
When Tiffany Campbell moved back to the East Coast after spending years working and saving money in Alberta, she had dreams of buying a house and raising her son in Nova Scotia. But after a few months, her plans changed drastically.
The 32-year-old says she was renovicted from the first apartment she rented in Halifax. She and her 7-year-old son moved twice more in a year, searching for affordable housing.
And they still haven't found it. Campbell says she's spending more than 50 per cent of her income on an apartment in the North End of the city, where she and her son share a bedroom.
"By the time I got here, it was just impossible," Campbell said. "I love this city, but I did not imagine that coming out here we would be put into this kind of position. Things are really kind of outstanding in Halifax. I didn't imagine this for the Maritimes."
Campbell came to Nova Scotia to pursue a PhD in social anthropology at Dalhousie University. She grew up on the East Coast and thought housing would be affordable in the region.
But despite having a full scholarship, two part-time jobs, no vehicle, and using her university's food bank, she says staying in Halifax is untenable.
Campbell is among more than 30 young adults who have spoken to CBC News this fall and say they feel forced to leave the province they had hoped to build a life in, because rent is too expensive and they believe that owning a home is unattainable.
Some said they plan to move in with family in other provinces, or move where wages are higher. But the common theme is the struggle to find housing in Nova Scotia.
"It reminds me of what was happening when I was in high school... Lots of young people were having to go out West," Campbell said. "It makes me sad because I feel like I'm constantly having to rewrite the story of my life."
According to data from rental accommodation website Rentals.ca that was analyzed by data firm Urbanation, rental prices in Atlantic Canada have increased by 32.2 per cent in the past year, making it the highest jump in Canada.
Though Nova Scotia has a temporary two per cent rent cap in place for existing leases, rent can be raised for a new lease if a tenant leaves or is evicted. Rentals.ca measures the listing price of unoccupied units.
According to a sample size of around 150 rental units in Halifax, Rentals.ca says the average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the city is $1,819, and the average for a two-bedroom unit is $2,240.
The company says that Halifax is the 18th most expensive city for rentals, in a list of 35 urban centres across the country. Some of the most affordable cities on that list are Edmonton, Quebec City and Regina.
"Halifax, for a medium-sized city, has had a lot of issues with housing," said Paul Danison, content director at Rentals.ca.
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