‘They’re in crisis’: Number of Nova Scotians waiting for rent supplement skyrockets
Housing minister says the program is under ‘tremendous demand’
At a time when rental housing is becoming less affordable and harder to find, many low-income Nova Scotians are turning to the rent supplement benefit program for help.
But the program, which is funded by the federal and provincial governments, isn’t keeping up with the demand.
Numbers CBC News received recently from the Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing show that out of 2,340 applications to the program between October 2022 and March 2023, almost half of those applications remained pending at the end of that period.
That means 1,016 people were still waiting to hear if they will receive a rent supplement, up from just 55 six months earlier. …[Read More]