‘We need help’: N.S. family desperate for housing as move-out date looms

A Nova Scotia woman and her two senior parents were unable to find affordable housing after being given the notice to vacate their home of 28 years.

Janice Christian says the past few months have caused chaos, panic and anxiety for her family.

Christian lives in Lower Sackville, N.S. with her mother and father who suffers from dementia. The three have been living in their apartment for nearly 29 years, and are now being forced to move.

“It’s really hard. It’s hard not to break down and cry some days,” said 40-year-old Christian. “Stress of worrying about mom and dad, their health is not the best, so I’m trying my best to stay strong for them.”

Nowhere to go

In January, the family received a notice to vacate by Oct. 31, due to a new owner wanting to move into their property themselves. Though it was a nine-month notice, Christian said they have been unable to find anything in their budget, and it’s not for a lack of effort.

“We’ve been searching Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace. … Sadly it’s been that places, either they are way too much money or they don’t want pets,” said Christian.

The family has two small dogs that help with the father’s dementia. They don’t want to part ways with them.

“I couldn’t see putting them through the SPCA again… I don’t think they’d survive without us.”

In an attempt to bide more time, the family filed an application (Form J) with the tenancy board, which is used to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants.

The family’s landlord spoke to Global News, but requested his name not be used. He said he gave the family ample time to find a home and that their misfortune has also put him in a difficult situation. The landlord, who purchased both sides of the duplex in 2019, said he now has to move into the other unit, which is currently under construction.

The Christians said they are aware of the predicament their landlord now faces.

“We understand that but we need that time to try and find something,” Christian said.

They applied for housing supports available in the province, including programs offered by the Metropolitan Regional Housing Authority, the provincial rent supplement program and emergency housing program, when they received the notice to vacate.

Christian said she was told months ago that processing applications for emergency housing can take two to three months. “Even then, even though it’s an emergency, it takes another one to two years to get us located into a new home,” she said.

In an email to Global News, a spokesperson for the provincial Department of Housing led by Minister John Lohr, said the average wait time to process a rent supplement is eight to 12 weeks, “based on the increased volume of applications being received.”

Spokesperson Krista Higdon said those in emergency situations can be prioritized. Her statement further read:

“The government is keenly aware of the challenges many Nova Scotians face in finding suitable and affordable housing. The government has been investing in the public and affordable housing sectors in a meaningful way under the ten-year National Housing Strategy. In addition, the government is looking at new and sustainable ways of continuing to expand community and affordable housing across the province.”

The Christian family is already living in subsidized housing, and Christian said she was recently told their subsidy for a new lease would be reduced from over $500 down to just $271 for the family, despite the rising costs of rent and living.

“We explained to the (Nova Scotia Housing) worker that it is an emergency, that we only have so many days. We can’t even get ahold of the worker now.”

Hannah Wood, co-chair of the Halifax peninsula chapter of ACORN, said the Christians are not alone in this.

“I have never heard of housing supports being quick for anyone in the years I have been doing housing advocacy,” Wood said in an email. “There are thousands of people on the wait list for provincial affordable housing and nowhere near the amount of units needed being built.”

‘We really need the help’

The Christian family is now in desperate need and willing to relocate, though they’d prefer to stay in Lower Sackville.

“We’ve been in Sackville ever since I was a kid,” Christian said. “And with dad’s health the way it is, it’s a place he knows.”

Christian took to Facebook on Sunday night to update her friends and family on their situation – and plead for help.

“I don’t know what we’re going to do,” she cried in the video. “I will freely admit, last night I got to the point where I didn’t want to be here anymore.”

Christian said in the video she is scared for her parents, and that their health has declined due to the stress.

“We really need the help,” she said.

Christian herself was diagnosed with autism and schizoaffective disorder, and has been out of work for several years amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But, she is hoping to get back into the workforce soon.

Due to the stress of the housing situation, she has also had to give up on a years-long passion. For the past 17 years, Christian has been an active volunteer for the Cars-R-Us toy drive in Lower Sackville.

“I go around Halifax, Dartmouth, Sackville and collect recyclables and cash them in. I do that from January straight through until the first week of December when the toy drive is on,” she said.

View image in full screen

In a normal year, Christian would have gathered up to $5,000 worth of toys by now to donate. But because of her housing situation, what would’ve been her 18^th consecutive year doing this has been halted. “I don’t have nothing because everything’s on hold, because of needing to move.”

With just four days until their move-out date, the family has reluctantly begun packing.

“It’s hard to get on it when you’re looking at the computer, looking at Kijiji and Facebook every second or third hour, seeing if there’s any new places available for rent.”

Hannah Wood said seniors and persons with disabilities are “hugely disadvantaged in an already tough rental market.”

As for the Christian family, Wood said without finding an affordable place to rent, they have no place to go.

“Shelters are at capacity, the modular housing recently completed by HRM is full… Every available option is full and has a waitlist,” Wood said.

She also added “refusing to rent to someone because of pets should not be allowed.”

Janice Christian and her family hope someone reaches out with an option.

“If anyone knows of anything, knows anyone, if you could, please reach out,” she said.

2:02 Halifax council votes to designate surplus land for affordable housing