Housing

One of your first concerns after you arrive will probably be finding a place to live. You may find that living in Canada is very different than your former country.  

It may be difficult to find a house or apartment if you have a large family. Most Canadian families have 1-3 children and two parents. This is why most apartments are no larger than two or three bedrooms. If you have a larger or extended family, you might want to consider looking for a house to rent instead of searching for a very large apartment.

Location
Many immigrants, when first settling in Nova Scotia, find it easier to live in or near cities. They are closer to services and public transit, which is very helpful if they don’t have their own car yet.

Suburbs are close enough to the city but usually operate as a small city within themselves, providing for many of the services and needs of its residents. Property and land costs may be cheaper in suburbs than in the city area, so total housing costs could be less.

Types of Housing?
There are many different types of living accommodations in Nova Scotia for you to choose from:

Privately Owned Rental Housing - The most common type of housing, where you pay monthly rent to a landlord or company who owns and maintains the house or apartment.

Co-operative Housing is a type of subsidized living arrangement where some of the residents pay rent that is adjusted to their income, and others pay rent that is closer to market prices.  Together, they care for and manage the housing co-op by sharing duties and responsibilities.

There is generally a waiting list to be assigned to any type of subsidized housing so if you want to apply, you should do so as soon as you possibly can.

Public Housing is similar to co-operative housing because its rent is adjusted to the income of its inhabitants. Public housing is built or funded by the government for families with lower or modest incomes.


Private Home Ownership is the private ownership of a home by an individual or couple.  Many people in Nova Scotia purchase their own home when they begin raising a family.

For more information visit the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the Residential Tenancies section of the Access Nova Scotia website..