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Guide to the Guide

Types of Rental Housing in NS

Basics of the Law

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Public Housing

Public housing is a form of subsidized housing owned or supported by the Department of Community Services. It is commonly known as ‘Housing’. Public housing used to be coordinated by five regional housing authorities with local boards governed by community members and tenants. In 2022, these were incorporated into the Nova Scotia Provincial Housing Authority and public housing is now run centrally through the province.

Tenants living in public housing pay a monthly rent based on their household income.

Everything in the RTA applies to public housing except for the following:

  • You are required to give public housing information about your household income and family size. This information determines what unit you are assigned.

  • If your household income or family size changes and you no longer qualify, the housing authority may be able to evict you by giving you notice (with the same notice rules as other tenancies).

  • You do not have the right to sublet or assign your lease.

  • Rules for rental increases don’t apply to public housing tenants. Your rent is based on a percentage of your monthly income, so if your income changes your rent changes proportionately (regardless of the rent cap).

  • Your rent can change more than once a year.

Public housing tenants living in buildings owned by the Department of Community Services are also considered to live in a provincial building, and therefore municipal standards of maintenance bylaws do not apply.

Public housing tenants face all the same issues as those renting from private landlords, and unique issues specific to public housing. The Housing Authority also has their own guidelines for resolving disputes in the Public Housing Policy Manual. You can complain to the Housing Authority Board if your property manager is treating you unfairly.

The Department owns many apartment buildings, row houses, and seniors’ buildings for public housing. According to the NSPHA website, 71% of tenants in public housing are seniors, 23% are families, and 6% are individuals and couples under the age of 58. Public housing also provides rental subsidies in some cases for private rentals operating under the Rent Supplement Program.