HALIFAX – Nova Scotia New Democrats continue to call on the Houston government to address the housing crisis and improve health outcomes for Nova Scotians.
The Standing Committee on Health will meet today from 1-3 p.m. to discuss the links between health outcomes and a lack of safe, affordable housing.
According to the Canadian Medical Association Journal, people who are chronically unhoused experience accelerated aging and develop health conditions at a much younger age. Their life expectancy is about half as long as those who are housed.
“When people are stretched financially, their mental and physical health suffers. They are less likely to be able to afford important medications or nutritious food. They have a higher risk of developing anxiety and depression,” said NSNDP Health spokesperson Susan Leblanc.
“Nova Scotia’s health crisis is inextricably linked to the housing crisis, and both need to be addressed to improve the lives of all Nova Scotians.”
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Housing is a major social determinant of health and well-being.
Poor quality and unaffordable housing is associated with worse mental and physical health outcomes.
A study from the Canadian Institute for Health Information found that patients experiencing homelessness who were admitted to hospital had to stay twice as long, with double the costs, compared to the national average.
“The Houston government talks about the skyrocketing number of unhoused people as though they were just randomly appearing out of nowhere – when the truth is that people are being put onto the street because the Conservatives allow landlords to evict renters at the end of fixed-term leases in order to get around the rent cap,” said Gary Burill, NSNDP spokesperson for Residential Tenancies.
“It’s causing unending harm and the government needs to stop enabling so much suffering across the province.”
