Dartmouth tenants concerned about future after affordable housing community is put up for sale
The potential sale of an entire affordable housing community in Dartmouth, N.S., has many of the residents concerned for their futures.
About 1,000 people live at Ocean Breeze Village, including Jordyn Johnson and her family.
Johnson currently pays $1,150 to rent a three-bedroom apartment – a price she says she'll struggle to find anywhere else.
"I work full-time as a line cook and it’s just like, there’s not enough affordable housing here to provide for everybody, especially for families of four and families of five,” Johnson says.
Residents found out on Twitter that the property owner, the Elia Corporation, has put the property up for sale.
Many are worried what new owners would do with the nearly 60 acre site.
Affordable housing advocates are calling for action.
“The city and the province must make sure these people are able to maintain their home and there isn’t a mass displacement of tenants,” says Lina Hamid, chair of Acorn Halifax.
Resident Clark MacIntosh has a suggestion.
"I mean, we’re surrounded by municipal and federal lands. It makes sense that some level of government buy this place and use this as more affordable housing. Actual affordable housing,” MacIntosh says.
Dartmouth North MLA Susan Leblanc says the province would be in a better position to do that had her party’s proposed legislation passed back in 2020 that would give the government first right of refusal on any property being sold in the province.
"It doesn’t mean the government has to keep it and run it, but they could then work with not-for-profits or co-ops and figure out how to keep the units affordable,” says Leblanc.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston wasn't making any commitments on Monday.
“We need more housing supply. We know that will come from a variety of sources so, you never say never,” Houston says.
A representative from Elia Corporation says they see this as a good time to create new residential housing on the site, adding since they are not developers, they decided to put the property up for sale.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Is there a cost to convenience? Canada approves new cancer immunotherapy treatment
A new cancer treatment recently approved in Canada promises to cut treatment time down to just minutes, but experts have differing opinions on whether it's what's best for patients.
King Charles III returns to public duties with a trip to a cancer charity
King Charles III will return to public duties on Tuesday when he visits a cancer treatment charity, beginning his carefully managed comeback after the monarch’s own cancer diagnosis sidelined him for three months.
Canada's new dental program offering hope of free care to millions but many dentists aren't signed up
A new Canadian dental care program is offering the hope of free care to millions, but while 1.7 million people have signed up for the plan, only about 5,000 dentists have done the same.
NDP says Ottawa's new grocery task force isn't living up to government promises
The federal government says the task force it created to monitor and investigate grocery retailers' practices has not conducted any probes and doesn't have a mandate to take enforcement action.
Archeologists search for remnants of Halifax's 250-year-old wall that surrounded the city
Archeologist Jonathan Fowler is using ground-penetrating radar to search for historic evidence of the massive wall that surrounded Halifax more than 250 years ago.
Air Canada walks back new seat selection policy change after backlash
Air Canada has paused a new seat selection fee for travellers booked on the lowest fares just days after implementing it.
Province boots mayor and council in small northern Ont. town out of office
An ongoing municipal strike, court battles and revolt by half of council has prompted the province to oust the mayor and council in Black River-Matheson.
Winner of US$1.3 billion Powerball jackpot is an immigrant from Laos who has cancer
One of the winners of a historic US$1.3 billion Powerball jackpot last month is an immigrant from Laos who has had cancer for eight years and had his latest chemotherapy treatment last week.
Anne Hathaway reveals she's now five years sober
Anne Hathaway first shared she lost interest in drinking after a bad hangover in 2018. She’s now five years sober.