Amy Myers never envisioned being on the verge of homelessness.

"I've always had a home.… I've never had a hard time renting before, I've never seen anything like this. Like, it's scary. It's really scary," she said.

The single mother of five claims that landlords across HRM refuse to rent to her because she has children.

Myers and her four youngest children, who range in age from seven to 12, are staying with her parents in a two-bedroom flat in Middle Sackville. Her oldest child has his own apartment.

"I've been told that they don't want pets.… I'm told that they want absolutely no smoking and I'm told that they don't want too many children, that the place isn't the right size for me, and I try to plead my case but I just get ignored," she said.

Amy Myers keeps some of her food in a freezer outside of her parents' two-bedroom flat where she and four of her children live because they cannot find a home to rent. (Robert Short/CBC)

For Myers, a full-time hospital booking clerk, a past bankruptcy that shows up on her credit record is a hindrance.

"I've had some places wanting me to make three times the amount of rent for an income.… I make OK money but I don't make three times the rent when the rent is like $1,400 a month."

For four years until Sept. 30, Myers rented a three-bedroom home in Middle Sackville for $1,250, plus utilities. She was forced to move when the owners sold the property.

Low vacancy rates a factor

Myers said she's replied to at least 100 online rental advertisements. She's made it through the application process about 10 times.

She said it has been difficult due to low vacancy rates and a lack of affordable housing.

"There's like 80 to 100 applicants, I'm told, applying for every place that I applied to, so I can't stand out amongst everyone," she said.

Middle Sackville resident Amy Myers searches online advertisements for a new place to live. (Robert Short/CBC)

According to the Investment Property Owners Association of Nova Scotia, the most recent rental vacancy rate in Halifax is 1.6 per cent. The provincial rate is 1.8 per cent.

Living out of suitcases

Myers and her children are living out of suitcases neatly stacked in a bedroom she shares with her two daughters. Her two youngest sons sleep on couches in the living room.

"It's really cramped," she said. "It's hard."

A flurry of inquiries earlier this year prompted the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission to remind landlords that it is illegal to deny someone a place to live because they have children.

Family status is a protected characteristic under the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act.

"We still get the occasional calls and we've got a couple of complaints that we're currently investigating, but I do think trying to be proactive about educating landlords has paid off," said Christine Hanson, the commission's CEO.

Christine Hanson is the CEO of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission. (Mark Crosby/CBC)

Hanson said the discrimination can be quite overt.

"There are [landlords] actually advertising saying that they don't want children, they only want people over a certain age or that they don't rent to people who are same-sex couples or immigrants," she said.

Commission staff met with Kevin Russell, the head of the Investment Property Owners Association of Nova Scotia. Information was forwarded to landlords about the Human Rights Act.

Kevin Russell is the executive director of the Investment Property Owners Association of Nova Scotia. (Dave Laughlin/CBC)

Russell's organization represents 170-180 members that manage 45,000 units. About 85 per cent of the market is in Halifax.

He met with the commission in June. He said the association takes human rights very seriously.

Both parties are working on a series of workshops for 2020.

Russell said some professional landlords don't like hearing these stories because it makes them all appear the same.

"In reality there's 110,000 rental units in Nova Scotia and like any large industry … there's some that enter an industry who feel the rules don't apply to them."

According to the Investment Property Owners Association of Nova Scotia, the most recent rental vacancy rate in Halifax is 1.6 per cent. (Robert Short/CBC)

MLA Brad Johns is trying to help. He's contacted the Metropolitan Regional Housing Authority on Myers's behalf but was told there's a long waiting list for public housing.

He said this case highlights the need for affordable housing in Halifax.

"And it can't be based totally on expectations of landlords … government has to play a role here."

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