Students and Off-Campus Housing in Nova Scotia Building Fair and Sustainable Solutions Released February 6, 2014 STUDENTSNS.CA 1673 Barrington St. Halifax, NS B3J 1Z9 Abstract This position paper explores the challenges Nova Scotia students face in accessing housing they can afford, how governments and universities plan for student housing, and how Nova Scotia protects students as tenants. It builds on existing literature that suggests a strong correlation between adequate housing and academic success, and addresses the structural ways that students interact with the supply and affordability of housing, notably in ways that affect the availability and access of low-income families to affordable housing. We confirm that students face significant challenges in accessing suitable housing that they can afford, notably because of limited supply, limited financial assistance and high university residence costs. We also find, however, that governments and universities are not planning for off-campus student housing or collecting adequate data, which undermines efforts to ensure all Nova Scotians access to affordable housing. Finally, we demonstrate that tenant protections in Nova Scotia are systematically inadequate, which leaves students, like other tenants, vulnerable to abuse. The report includes a series of recommendations that Students Nova Scotia believes would help address these challenges, improving housing affordability and quality not just for students, but for all Nova Scotians. AUTHORS: Brian Foster (StudentsNS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: We wish to thank Director of Engagement and the many housing advocates, experts, Communications), Jonathan Williams university staff, and, especially, students (StudentsNS Executive Director) and who took the time to provide data, Danielle Andres (StudentsNS Research feedback and dialogue on this issue. Officer) We would particularly like to thank Claudia Jahn of the Affordable Housing DATE OF REVIEW AND APPROVAL BY THE Association of Nova Scotia, as well as BOARD OF DIRECTORS: January 9, 2014 Katherine Reed; the Affordable Housing STUDENTS NOVA SCOTIA Project Coordinator at the Antigonish 1673 Barrington St. Women’s Resource Centre and Sexual Halifax, Nova Scotia Assault Services Association. B3J 1Z9 Tel: 1 902 422 4068 Web site: www.studentsns.ca ii Recommendations The Province, universities, municipalities and other stakeholders should work with Students Nova Scotia to create a Student Housing Strategy that compliments the Provincial Housing Strategy and sets a goal to significantly increase the share of students living in units offered through partnerships involving these stakeholders. All universities should establish Housing Offices responsible for student housing on and off campus, including through maintaining housing partnerships with municipalities and the Province, as well as community organizations, student groups and private companies where applicable. The Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission should evaluate the performance of university housing services. Post-secondary institutions should work together to create centralized off-campus housing resources for students, including notably a common web portal. Students Nova Scotia should be granted a seat on the Housing Nova Scotia Advisory Board. The Province of Nova Scotia must collaborate with Students Nova Scotia if it chooses to explore possible modalities for a graduate home ownership program pursuant to the Housing Strategy. The Nova Scotia Student Assistance Program should increase its allocations for housing and utilities to meet the average costs for the types of units it expects students to inhabit, eventually on a community-by-community basis. The Nova Scotia Student Assistance Program should provide students living in residence the resources to meet the cost of their residence space and standard mandatory meal plans. The Province should create a new agency to collect and hold damage deposits in trust or give this capacity to Service Nova Scotia. iii The Province should collect a move-in and –out form upon the start and termination of a lease to record the state of the unit as assessed by both the landlord and the tenant. The Province or individual municipalities should develop a Handyperson Service that will investigate instances where tenants allege that landlords are ignoring requests for upkeep and, where necessary, make basic repairs at the landlords’ expense. Service Nova Scotia should keep public records of rental properties’ histories, including ownership, rent, and tenancy board investigations. The Residential Tenancy arm of Service Nova Scotia should require that landlords file an explanation when they increase rent beyond inflation. iv Statement of Values Students Nova Scotia is built upon the belief that post-secondary education can play a fundamental role in allowing both the individual and society to realize their full potential. Students Nova Scotia’s values are pillars built upon this foundation. They give direction to Students Nova Scotia’s work and reflect our organizational goals. ACCESSIBILITY: Every qualified Nova Scotia student who wishes to pursue post- secondary education should be able to do so, irrespective of their financial situation, socioeconomic or ethnic background, physical, psychological or mental ability, age, sexual orientation, geographic location, or any other factor exogenous to qualification. AFFORDABILITY: The cost of post-secondary education in Nova Scotia should not cause undue hardship upon any student, restrict their ability to pursue the career path they choose, or make them financially unable to live in the community of their choice. QUALITY: Policies, programs, and services in post-secondary education should meet student expectations to help prepare them for lifelong success, including in their citizenship, careers, and personal wellbeing. STUDENT VOICE: Nova Scotia students must be empowered to actively participate in setting their post-secondary system’s direction via engagement through their representative student bodies, within the post-secondary institutions themselves, and through the broader democratic process. v Our Research Process Position papers are the primary outputs of our research. They aim to describe and clearly articulate Students Nova Scotia’s Principles in approaching an issue and Concerns that obstruct the realization of those principles. Finally, we propose Recommendations aimed at addressing the policy issues (and our specific concerns) in a manner that is consistent with our organization’s values. The Students Nova Scotia Board of Directors is comprised of student representatives from our eight member associations. It sets annual priorities for Students Nova Scotia activities, including research. Position Papers represent formal Students Nova Scotia policy and are approved by the Board of Directors at bi-annual Board Policy Retreats, following a draft’s one-month release for consultations with students. vi Table of Contents 1. Introduction 1 2. Methodological considerations 3 2.1 Who has jurisdiction over housing in Nova Scotia? 3 2.2 Limitations of Existing Data 4 2.3 Defining “affordable housing” for students 6 2.4 Community impacts of student housing 10 3. Availability of Rental Housing for Nova Scotia Students 13 3.1 The provincial picture 13 3.2 Housing markets in specific university communities 15 3.2.1 Halifax 15 3.2.2 Truro 18 3.2.3 Cape Breton Regional Municipality 18 3.2.4 Antigonish 20 3.2.5 Wolfville-Kentville 20 4. What’s the plan man? 22 4.1 The Provincial Housing Strategy 22 4.2 Town and Gown efforts 24 4.3 University Off-Campus Housing Resources 27 5. Residential Tenancy Protections and Students 30 5.1 Rent Control 30 5.2 End of Lease 32 5.3 Security Deposits 34 5.4 Mediation, Hearings and the Tenancy Review Board 35 6. Building a fairer off-campus housing environment 38 6.1 Plan for Students, With Students 38 6.2 Provide students the funding they need for housing 44 6.3 Strengthen tenant protections 45 7. Conclusion 50 vii 8. Policy Resolution 51 Whereas StudentsNS holds the following Principles: 51 Whereas StudentsNS has identified the followingConcerns: 52 Be It Resolved That StudentsNS makes the following Recommendations: 54 9. References 56 viii List of Common Abbreviations AAHP Antigonish Affordable Housing Project AHANS Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia ASU Acadia Students’ Union AUCC Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada CBRM Cape Breton Regional Municipality CBU Cape Breton University CMA Census Metropolitan Area CMHC Canadian Housing and Mortgage Corporation DCS Department of Community Services DFoA Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture DLA Dalhousie Legal Aid FCM Federation of Canadian Municipalities HNS Housing Nova Scotia HRM Halifax Regional Municipality LAE Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education MSVU Mount Saint Vincent University NSCC Nova Scotia Community College OOP Out-of-Province OUSA Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance PSE Post-secondary education PSSSP Post-Secondary Student Support Program RTA Residential Tenancies Act SMU Saint Mary’s University StatsCan Statistics Canada StFX Saint Francis Xavier University StFXSU Saint Francis Xavier University Students’ Union StudentsNS Students Nova Scotia ix 1. Introduction Housing is an integral part of students’ lives and studies suggest a strong link between the availability of safe and affordable housing and students’ successful participation in post-secondary education (PSE). For example, a recent study by the Canadian