Most Important Local Issue

Your pick for the Most Important Local Issue this year is one that’s been on our minds all year—the affordable housing crisis. We’ve written too many articles to count on how this has affected the people of Halifax, whether it be its impacts on the student population or the part provincial legislation plays in making the situation worse. Studies have claimed that rent in the city has jumped over 11% from last year, and that Halifax is one of the most expensive cities for renters in Canada. Housing prices have also continued to rise in the city, making purchasing a home less and less likely for potential buyers. As the city’s unhoused population continue to increase, the provincial government is content building homes for a middle class that can’t afford them—making them all the more likely to be bought up by landlords who will set some astronomical rate that no one can afford. It’s a depressing situation made worse by poor policy, but as long as we continue to shout and scream at those in charge about how inequitable housing is in our province, the more likely we will see some real change in the future.