Halifax now has Canada's fastest rising rent, creating a key election issue
Homelessness jumps as asking price for a two-bedroom Halifax apartment soars 12.6% in past 12 months
The centre of Canada’s rental crisis has shifted east, with rents rising faster in Halifax than in any other of Canada’s 20 top-ranked rental markets, according to the October rent report from Rentals.ca.
The asking price for a Halifax two-bedroom apartment increased 12.6 per cent between September 2023 and September 2024, hitting $2.531. The national average increase during the same period was only 2.6 per cent.
The average asking price for a one-bedroom Halifax apartment rose to $1,998, up 6.8 per cent from one year before.
A study reported on by the Halifax Times Chronicle on Wednesday found homelessness in the Cape Breton and Antigonish areas has increased 72 per cent since a similar study in 2021. The data was collected by service providers in the area.
PCs lag NDP on housing, a top election issue
In the current Nova Scotia election, rent, housing and homelessness have become a central issue, one on which the opposition NDP holds an edge over the governing PCs.
A recent poll by Abacus found 49 per cent of Nova Scotians say housing and homelessness is among their top three issues, making it the third most mentioned priority issue after healthcare and affordability.
Housing and homelessness is a top issue for 67 per cent of decided NDP voters, 52 per cent of decided Liberals and 37 per cent of decided PC voters, according to Abacus.
Claudia Chender’s NDP is named as the best party to deal with housing and homeless by 25 per cent of voters, with 23 per cent preferring Tim Houston’s PCs on the issue and 18 per cent believing Zach Churchill’s Liberals would be best.
The PC government is allowing tenants’ rent to be hiked five per cent in 2024 and another five per cent again in 2025. Apartment-hunters are facing increasing difficulty finding affordable rental accommodation because there is no limit on how much landlords can hike rents between tenants.
The NDP has pledged to cap rent increases at 2.5 per cent and control rents between tenants. The Liberals have offered a “fairer system” of rent control, but have not yet provided specifics.
Public polls show PCs well ahead, NDP second
Abacus found the governing PCs with 45 per cent of decided support, the NDP at 26 and Liberals at 25 per cent. In Halifax PCs are at 38, NDP 36 and Liberals 24 per cent.
A Liaison Strategies poll taken October 28 and 29 found the PCs at 38, NDP 29 and Liberals 26 per cent among decided and leaning voters.
A Mainstreet Research poll completed November 1 and 2 and released yesterday found the PCs at 50, NDP 25 and Liberals 22 per cent among decided voters.