FOGGY WALK
“When citizens of our community do not have safe, secure, affordable, accessible housing, it’s an issue for all of us.” Mike Savage Mayor of Halifax
necessary when weighing the risks associated with the three housing projects.
“One of the issues that government has always been pretty good at is giving money to build something and then not so good sometimes at taking care of it,” Savage said during the virtual news conference Monday morning.
“We could not have allocated this $8.7 million dollars if we didn’t have an arrangement with the provincial government where the provincial government would support ongoing operations.”
Nova Scotia’s Housing Minister Chuck Porter said the funding is to span over a 20-year period.
“It is always the long-term maintenance of operations that cause us the most concern,” Porter said.
HOUSING CRISIS IN HALIFAX
Savage said while the
COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the affordable housing issue in Halifax Regional Municipality, the issues are “longstanding.”
“We all know that here in Halifax, as in other parts of the country, adequate, safe, accessible and sustainable affordable housing are a significant challenge,” Savage said.
“Thankfully, there have never been more tools available to address housing than there are today.”
Ahmed Hussen, federal minister of families, children and social development and the minister responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, said there are many other options available for affordable housing, including the other half of the Rapid Housing Initiative, the project stream.
Until Dec. 31, provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous governing bodies, organizations and nonprofit organizations are able to apply for a cut of the $500 million project stream.
Hussen said each project submitted for the project steam will be evaluated on its own merit.
Savage said he hopes some of the other projects put forward for the Rapid Housing Initiative will receive funding through the project stream.
Savage highlighted a report from 2016, which stated more than two in five Halifax tenants spent more than 30 per cent of their income on housing.
“I imagine that those figures have only become more stark,” he said.
As of Monday, 489 people were experiencing homelessness in Halifax Regional Municipality, according to the Nova Scotia Affordable Housing Association.
“When citizens of our community do not have safe, secure, affordable, accessible housing, it’s an issue for all of us,” Savage said.
“We know as well that when you start with a roof, you can begin to create new pathways for people to find help, employment and social connections.”