In memory of Robert Devet (d. September 27, 2021), founder, publisher and editor of the Nova Scotia Advocate. This site is preserved as an archive of the Advocate’s journalism from 2016 to 2021, and as a tribute to Robert’s work. No new articles are published, and comments, forms and search are closed. Read the tribute →

Roving reporter and anti-poverty advocate Jodi Brown meets up with Crystal, a public housing tenant in Halifax who has a sad and way too common story to tell about public housing waiting lists.

In this video citizen-reporter and poverty activist Jodi Brown meets up with Sarah, a young woman who was in a bad spot when she asked Community Services for help. After stays in a shelter and hotel, Sarah now lives in a North Dartmouth apartment building, and deals with leaking roofs and all kinds of other building troubles. Landlord Metcap Living is in no apparent hurry to fix it.

Poverty activist and frequent contributor Brenda Thompson writes about adults only buildings and the law. She was one of the activists who, in the early 1980s, brought about changes that make discrimination based on source of income (welfare) and age (whether you have children) illegal. Landlords openly break that law all the time, and the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission just sits back.