Introducing: Student Housing Nova Scotia
March 26, 2024
Student Housing Nova Scotia: An Innovative Solution to the Student Housing Crisis
HALIFAX – Today, the Halifax Student Housing Society announced it is expanding to become Student Housing Nova Scotia. This new strategic direction will take a province-wide approach as it seeks to improve, enhance, and increase housing in postsecondary communities.
“Student housing has long been a growing issue, but it has now reached a breaking point that must be urgently addressed by postsecondary institutions and all levels of government”, said Mitchell Archibald, Executive Director of Student Housing Nova Scotia. “Nova Scotia has more academic institutions per capita than any other Canadian province, yet for many students living here, housing is now the single greatest barrier to education and the benefits that come along with it”.
Student Housing Nova Scotia is the largest non-profit student housing provider in Atlantic Canada, and one of the oldest in the country. Founded in 1965, it oversaw the development and construction of Peter Green Hall with support from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and various levels of government. A hallmark of its success, it has offered safe and reliable housing to thousands of students at significantly below market rates for over fifty years.
Nova Scotia is facing unprecedented challenges with housing affordability. The province has the highest rate of rental inflation in the country at 14%, and the average student in Canada pays 25% more than the average renter. Rising housing pressures and inflation have sharply increased demand for more affordable options for students in both rural and urban areas communities.
“For years, we have been asking ourselves why not-for-profit student housing isn’t more widely available in the province,” said Archibald. “This model is being done on a broader scale in other parts of the country, and it’s working – for students, tenants, and the communities in which they live. As an organization, we have a proven model and decades of experience. We're stepping up to provide these services more broadly to more students across Nova Scotia."
By leveraging a range of funding sources and collaborating with governments and stakeholders, Student Housing Nova Scotia is ideally positioned to build and provide housing solutions at below market rates. Developing housing targeted toward students will ease pressure in the broader rental market, which translates into more stabilized, predictable, and affordable rental rates not just for students, but for all renters.
“With a history of providing reliable and low-cost student housing, we are uniquely prepared to bring this sustainable housing model to more students and postsecondary communities across Nova Scotia,” said Archibald.
As it embarks on this exciting new chapter, Student Housing Nova Scotia remains committed to advocating for student housing issues, improving research and data collection on student housing needs and trends, as well as developing and supporting programs that address challenges faced by students in Nova Scotia.
