**** CNS Media Release
Help Finding Housing for People Displaced by Wildfires
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The Province launched two new online resources, today, June 16, to help Nova Scotians displaced by wildfires find available housing.
“We are looking at all the options available to help people who have lost their home to these devastating fires,” said Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister John Lohr. “We have been touched by the response from Nova Scotians, both private homeowners and landlords, who have reached out to offer their support. We know people want to help and by opening your home, you can help provide an option for people who need a place to live.”
A partnership with the home-sharing platform Happipad will help match people seeking short-term accommodations with homeowners who have rooms available to rent. In addition to the matching service, Happipad collects and distributes the rent, and provides dispute resolution support in case of host or renter concerns.
Potential hosts and people seeking a room can access the new service at: https://happipad.com/ns-wildfi
A partnership with Yardi will provide options for people seeking longer-term housing.
Yardi operates a real estate search portal called Point2, which now has a section for Nova Scotians displaced by wildfires. Landlords with available units can upload their properties to the website at no cost, and people in need of housing can see details of the available unit(s), a contact form and landlord’s phone number. Prospective tenants contact the landlord directly.
Landlords and those looking for housing can access the site at: https://www.point2homes.com/ne
Quotes:
“Happipad exists to remove the barriers to make it safe and easy for Canadians to share homes. But more than housing, we are about community helping community. When we witnessed the wildfires in Nova Scotia, we felt compelled to provide what support we can. It is our hope in this difficult time we can help bring more people together.”
– Cailin Libby, CEO, Happipad
“As a company that is committed to using technology to positively impact our communities, Yardi is proud to collaborate with the Province of Nova Scotia to aid those affected by the wildfires.”
– Peter Altobelli, Vice-President and General Manager, Yardi Canada Ltd.
Quick Facts:
— Happipad, a Canadian not-for-profit organization, started with help from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation
— there are an estimated 130,000 empty bedrooms across the province
— all homeowers and renters using Happipad will be subject to background checks
— the Residential Tenancies Act applies to all rentals
— no transactions will be processed on the Point2 site; the tenant and landlord using Point2 will be responsible for any legal documentation, credit checks and financial transactions
Additional Resources:
More information on Happipad is available at: https://www.happipad.org/progr
