By Lyndsay Armstrong
Within the 12 months since Nova Scotia invested in an internet platform geared toward serving to renters discover reasonably priced housing, a complete of 23 leases have been signed, a outcome 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 obtainable 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 happy that the $1.3-million program has to this point resulted in lower than 25 signed leases.
“We in all probability would have hoped that we might have extra, however that’s within the making proper now.”
There was a current uptake in this system, Wong stated, with seven leases signed in July — probably the most in any month for the reason that province’s funding announcement final 12 months. The platform presently has 589 folks registered as hosts.
He stated the home-sharing mannequin is an efficient 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 global pupil coming to Nova Scotia that basically doesn’t know the way Nova Scotia works or how our Canadian tradition is, you then’re residing with someone that may assist you navigate our communities, perhaps assist worldwide college students, for instance, fall in love with Nova Scotia and wish 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 known as the venture a “failure” and a poor use of cash.
“We’d like exponential development in new housing, and we have to concentrate on 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 on the lookout 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 an app that the Houston authorities sunk $1.3 million into is solely 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 will 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 properties in Nova Scotia.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Aug. 22, 2024.
Visited 253 instances, 14 go to(s) at the moment
Atlantic John Lohr Nova Scotia Regional The Canadian Press
Final modified: August 23, 2024