Rooming Houses: How the North End and Dartmouth Gentrified

It's clear that the North End of Halifax and Dartmouth are rapidly changing, what isn't so clear are the forces behind that change. We think one way to look at this issue is through the recent loss of a particular type of affordable rental housing in Halifax: rooming houses.
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[@dingviet4310]

Wow, seriously, your content just keeps getting better. I hope you know that your channel really does strengthen the communities you report on. You have so clearly found your life's calling, please keep it up and when you're famous, don't leave us for Toronto!!

[@pinkcyclop]

I lived in a rooming house near Spring Garden.
Pros:
Cheaper all inclusive rent
Ability to live near downtown
Cons:
Not informed of when tenants leave/move in
Having to share all amenities with a lot of people so I had to give myself more time to get ready for bathroom use and kitchen use not convenient if you're a busy person
Noisy tenants
Conflict of tenants that resident managers won't get involved
Cleaning schedules and managers not enforcing policies
Stolen items

[@ArunKumar-re6ng]

How much rent

[@ArunKumar-re6ng]

How far is windmill road from your house.

[@Peanutmc]

Great video. I'm quite familiar with the location you showed in downtown Dartmouth on Victoria St. It was frequented by police and open drug-dealing happened on the regular. One time they had a sign downstairs that said "$5" and were dropping baggies from the 2nd floor after receiving payment.
Gentrification is a tough one. The best policy is to thoroughly mix and mingle different income classes in every neighbourhood as it's been shown to reduce crime "hot-spots" within the city.

[@patrickzielinski6386]

Great video, trying to get a better understanding of this province and your video strikes as genuine and true. Thanks for your work.

[@lukezhang3715]

The most touching planifax video so far. Thank you.

[@sdunn5643]

The rooming houses in downtown Dartmouth were shut down thanks to a new rules put in place that if a rental unit has tenants that constantly receive visits by police for serious issues the city gets involved. The city can then order the unit(s) cleared out of tenants and the property get boarded up with a notice on the main entrance that the owner is served. A few of those buildings were repeatedly cleared (one building had a murder) and the properties were seized and demolished. The area has multiple properties vacant at this time and should have 'affordable houses' (year right, what is affordable) built on it.

[@rexmundi3108]

I lived in a rooming house in the North End as a student from 89-92. I'd like to take a walk and see all this gentrification. Be interesting to not be worried about being mugged.

[@Dantai]

Great Stuff keep it up!

[@chrisarchibald7580]

I currently live in a bidding house that has no not water,no window,front door bolted shut,drunk support climbing through Windows at night.I've been to lawyers and ombudsman,welfareetc.nobody sees a problem.the shelters are feuled by the crack problem to the point where the dealers to there for free coffee.the boarding houses are being replaced by upscale buildings filled with people who don't pay taxes in this country.the developers who promise affordable housing only promise that till they get green lights to build and than Jack rent.property owners are all corrupt lawmakers and masons that aren't going to police themselves....you can pretend it's a mystery all you want

[@tazrinahmed5326]

How about the apartment style houses?

[@duncangagnon8907]

great video! what song plays at 4:30?

[@charlottecreamer5942]

lol the guy insisting that you share his banana. My experience has been that the poorer people are, the more they want to share what little they have, even if it takes the food right out of their mouth. We can plainly see today how the loss of our boarding houses has impacted the poorest among us. Loss of boarding houses + gentrification + government policies enabling ongoing flood of "newcomers" + inflation + currency devaluation + greedy landlords = people living on the street, in shelters, or in tent encampments.