'We just want to stay': N.S. family struggling to find affordable home may be forced to leave the province
A Nova Scotia family says they may be forced to leave the province due to the lack of affordable housing units on the market.
Steph McNamara has lived in an apartment in Dartmouth, N.S., for the last two years and says she loves it, but can't stay.
“I just wanted to start off by saying we love our landlords. They have been amazing to us,” McNamara says.
McNamara's landlords live downstairs below her. A family member of the landlord, who can’t find a place to stay, will soon be moving in, which means the McNamaras have to move.
They were hoping to stay within the Halifax Regional Municipality, but housing prices are outside their budget.
Now, they’re not even sure they can stay in the province.
“I think when you know you want your roots to be here in Nova Scotia and you just can’t quite make that a reality, it's really hard,” says McNamara.
However, there could be hope on the horizon. The real-estate market is showing signs of evening out in the last month-and-a-half.
“Buyers have a little more leverage. There’s a bit more inventory, so an extra couple hundred houses on the market as compared to a month ago, so there’s a little more choice,” says the president of Royal Lepage Atlantic, Matt Honsberger.
It’s the same story in New Brunswick.
“The fever pitch seems to have lessened,” says New Brunswick realtor Danielle Johnson.
Johnson says the market is cooling across the country where many of the buyers were coming from, adding that is playing a roll to the slowdown in the Maritimes.
“In the past, we could’ve gotten 14 offers, 20 offers. Now, maybe we’re getting two or three,” Johnson says.
But it might be too little, too late for the McNamaras, who had big plans in their future.
“We are community-minded people; we want to build a retreat for autistic kids. We have a daughter who is autistic and we just feel like Nova Scotia is where she needs to be. There are amazing resources here and we just want to stay here," she said.
Meanwhile, they have put out a plea on social media, hoping to find a way to stay in the place they call home.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Documents reveal Canada praised Haitian sanctioned over alleged gangland connections
A Canadian diplomat and an RCMP officer heaped praise and gratitude on a sanctioned Haitian businessman that Global Affairs accuses of gangland connections, after he allowed a helicopter airlift of Canadian citizens and police at his luxury golf course last month, emails provided by his lawyers suggest.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Minister said 'hundreds' of Canadians might use Gaza visa. More than 7,500 applied.
An immigration lawyer in Toronto says new figures from the federal government show just how 'grudging' Ottawa's efforts have been to rescue Canadians' family members from the war in the Gaza Strip.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.