N.S. defends $1.3-million affordable housing program that resulted in 60 leases – Halifax

The Nova Scotia government is defending a $1.35-million housing program that resulted in 60 leases over roughly two years.

A spokesperson with the Department of Growth and Development says the contract with the non-profit home-sharing platform Happipad was a success for the 60 people who found a home.

Initial results show the program wound up costing more than $22,000 per lease, prompting criticism from opposition parties who said the government has failed to help Nova Scotians find affordable homes.

Department spokesperson Chrissy Matheson says Happipad is one of many options the province has explored while it works to connect people with safe and affordable places to live.

The purpose of Happipad is to bring together renters seeking affordable, month-to-month accommodation with residents who have rooms to rent in their homes.

When it launched the program in 2023, the government said there were about 130,000 vacant bedrooms in the province.

Matheson says that while the department knows of 60 formal leases made through the service, data from Happipad suggests 400 people “possibly made connections” outside the platform.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 30, 2025.