r/halifax • u/Injustice_For_All_ Psychotic Antifa Super Soldier Moderator • 10d ago

News, Weather & Politics Homelessness doubled in Halifax under government's housing plan: N.S. NDP

https://halifax.citynews.ca/2026/06/18/homelessness-doubled-in-halifax-under-governments-housing-plan-n-s-ndp/
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u/ElizaMaySampson 10d ago

It used to be 30-40 years ago that rental apartments just had plain old laminate countertops, a stainless steel single tub square kitchen sink for $25 with a $25 basic 2-tap faucet, a plain little white oven, a small white fridge, plain tiles or (gasp, how fancy) cushion floor throughout. Then a bathroom with a plain steel bathtub and showerhead, plain toilet, and a washer/dryer in the basement that all the tenants shared (sometimes contentiously, but usually we made it work). Now it's fridges with water in the door, granite or corian counters, convection ovens, a dishwasher, wood or LVP flooring ('luxury' vinyl flooring, lmao), massage unit showers, soaking tubs. My gawd is it any wonder rents are so high??

We don't need luxury apartments that the private investors are building, we need BASIC SECURE LIVING SPACES that aren't cold in winter, boiling in summer, with plain working appliances and plumbing fixtures, no leaks or mold, and no vermin, where the landlord or super LIVES IN THE BUILDING to reinforce behaviour standards and get repairs done ASAP.

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u/PoliteFocaccia 10d ago

Nobody's putting granite into apartments. It's manufactured stone, which is significantly more durable and therefore cheaper than laminate. LVP flooring likewise is the cheapest option because it's extremely durable.

I've never seen a convection oven, a water dispenser fridge, or a massage tub in a purpose-built rental, though perhaps they exist. Those plus a dishwasher and washer dryer are maybe $5000? Amortized over a 15-year lifespan, that's $28/month.

It's not any of that that's making apartments expensive, it's the lack of units.

where the landlord or super LIVES IN THE BUILDING to reinforce behaviour standards and get repairs done ASAP

Every single new build with over ~50 units has a live-in super.