Nova Scotia offers victims of intimate partner violence housing support
Nova Scotians fleeing gender-based violence will now be able to access housing support through the Canada Housing Benefit.
In the first year, the benefit provides a flat rate based on family composition and the number of bedrooms required, up to $1,400 for a rental unit with three or more bedrooms.
However, the current median rent in Halifax is $2,371, according to the rental site Zumper.com, a 16 per cent increase over last year. Less than two per cent of Halifax rentals cost less than $1,500.
This announcement comes four years after a 51-year-old gunman with a history of violence, particularly against intimate partners, went on a thirteen-hour rampage that left 22 people dead.
Experts say a lack of affordable housing leaves many women trapped in abusive relationships.
Nova Scotia is the third province to co-design a program under the Canada Housing Benefit meant for survivors of gender-based violence.
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