Hundreds attend rally for rent control held outside Halifax City Hall

As Halifax residential rental prices continue to increase and vacancy rate goes in the opposite direction, an independent tenant advocacy group says rent control is the best way to stop the trend.

To get their message out, Nova Scotia ACORN held a rally outside Halifax City Hall on Saturday, calling for the province to enact some form or rental control.

“We’re hearing from a lot of people about high percentage of increases on their rent this year alone, especially during a pandemic,” said Mila McKay with Nova Scotia ACORN.

“Everyone I know is actually quite for (rent control), because they see it as something that will help us as people, but it will help the economy.”

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READ MORE: Nova Scotia tenant advocacy group calls for landlord licensing bylaw

The issue surrounding affordable housing options in the Halifax Regional Municipality has been top of mind for many, as a growing number of tenants have come forward claiming their rent has increased with little-to-no notice.

Nova Scotia ACORN advocates for tenants living on a low or moderate income. They say tenants are living in dirty and unsafe conditions, while seeing their rent rates increase unexpectedly.

“People getting thrown out on the street means there’s a health crisis, we’ve seen that in other provinces where they do housing first models,” said McKay.

1:48 Rent control calls grow louder in Halifax

Chirstina Henneberry was one of the attendees at Saturday’s rally. She lives in a one-bedroom in the Clayton Park area and says she recently experienced a rental increase of over $100 a month.

“It’s really hard to afford clothes and food for our children with the rent increasing every year,” said Henneberry.

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“My rent has gone up by $150 every year and I just feel like all the landlords are trying to force us out of our homes when we’re trying our best to get by, pay bills, and feed our children.”

Others say finding an affordable apartment if nearly impossible these days, even as a full-time worker with a degree.

“I’m stuck living with my girlfriend’s parents. I’ve got a full-time job now, I’m working in the sciences, and things are still extremely expensive,” said rally attendee Jarod Campbell. “It’s difficult, and I’m seeing prices increasing month by month. It’s kind of insane.”

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Nova Scotia NDP Leader Gary Burrill was in attendance. He says if he were in office, rent control would be top of the agenda.

“Unlike many problems that we face in the world, this is a problem that has a solution — that is to tie rent increases to the cost of living, to regulate it, so that the market is not the only thing that has an influence on determining what rents are going to be,” said Burrill.

A similar rally for rent control was held down at the Halifax Waterfront back in August, where they called for the city to enact a proactive system to hold landlords accountable by allowing tenants to complain about them anonymously.

Another rally will be happening in Antigonish’s Chisholm Park at 2 p.m.