Halifax is in the worst housing crisis in 20 years. If you call up any housing program or shelter, you are put on a list. A certain company bought a lot of low-income buildings with the promise to keep rents affordable, only to dishonour that and have even mothers having to leave and there is absolutely nowhere to go!

Like CB said in "HRM needs rent control," the $535 rent/lights allowance that is given out by Income Assistance used to make you live in infested buildings because the landlords knew we couldn't afford to move. Income Assistance is provided to people who can't work due to physical/medical/mental health problems. Believe me when I say it's not easy to receive that help. Many letters, medical forms and sleepless nights hoping to have your medication covered, only to have to use it to supplement the extra rent you need to pay. Can anyone out there find an apartment for $535 lights included?!?! By the way, that amount has not increased in over 20 years.

The people who drive by the "bums" begging for extra change should be extremely grateful they are going to a roof over their heads, with food and without being bitten all night by bed bugs!!!! No human should have to live in these environments but here we are, and not one paper thinks this crisis and these humans are  worth the front page.

Here is my thought: Why don't the people on the committee that decides what we are allowed live off, try living off it themselves for one month. Walk away from your nice home with your clean bed and the food you can sit down and eat without having a cockroach lurking by, and go pick up your check. Of course you will need to find housing with your $535, and cover damage deposit plus moving expenses plus hook-up fee for lights, etc. Then live off of what's left.

One month is all I ask. For anyone who understands/lives like me—Chronic Bronchitis and the hundreds more—let's push for this challenge. No one will listen to us. We need the evening news and newspapers to put this out there!!!! Cause we are here embarrassed, with low self-worth and have given up, so we stay in our shell. Well, that's if we even have one!!!!!!
—Welfare Bum

to the lady who was comming out of the public washroom the other day go to the bars and drink at the bars i know it was you who was drinking in our public washroom the other day when i found your beer can in the washroom so stop hiding it i know your IMBARESTED ABOUT IT and i know you have a alchol problem so take your problem that you have stop hiding your beer can in your bookbag and take your alchol problem that you have and take it to the fucken bars! the same thing goes to the alcholic woman who keeps drinking in the mall washroom to take it to the bars you alcholic!
—Learn What A Bar Is!

Back at the beginning of June, a local community group had a big yard sale. Many posters were stapled to many hydro poles across the north end. Today plenty of those posters remain, with a number ripped off and thrown to the sidewalk and streets. It would be nice if the sale organizers could organize a take down poster event…as should other people who plaster poles with their yard sale posters, etc.
—Be A Litter Quitter

Intrigued by a new dude on the scene? With a poor-me backstory about why he's here that seems too good to be true? Yeah, it really is. Run don't walk. Pro tip: He doesn't even want to fuck you, he just wants to get his garden watered or whatever.
—The Last Fly

Last time I checked, we don't have any autobahn roads in NS with no speed limit. If you think driving 160 is OK on public highway, you are being an ASS. Yes, the "slowpoke" doing 120 in the left lane was slowing you down, that is because he was only somewhat above the speed limit while passing people, instead of driving like an utter ass. Where the hell are you going that it is so urgent? Get a grip, or get a membership on a private circuit track and drive 200+ if you are serious about driving stupid fast. Don't put other people at risk with your entitled attitudes and dangerous driving habits.
—Pissed Off At Entitled Fast Drivers

I am a person with a legitimate disability on assistance, although before you assume I'm a "welfare bum," please know that I work part-time as much as I physically can to supplement my very modest income. I am disgusted with trying to find a reasonable rental apartment in HRM. I'm looking for a simple one-bedroom apartment and I cannot find one for under $750. This is ridiculous.

Assistance only allows $535 for rent and landlords know this. They assume everyone on assistance is a bum who isn't worthy of having a home. They price all their units hundreds above that amount to ensure they will get working tenants. This is discrimination and not fair. Do you think most people on assistance choose to be? They do not. It is not an easy life living on a pittance.

I am doing everything I can do get out of the apartment I'm in now, which is infested with black mold. The place before this was 700 bucks a month and had bed bugs. I had to throw out all my furniture and lost everything! The landlord does nothing when I call for repairs, doesn't show up. But raises the rent each time I call. So that's why I stopped calling him to fix things (no one shows up anyway). I am feeling totally hopeless in this situation and am wondering if I will end up sleeping under an overpass in a sleeping bag.

I have tried to go on the wait list for Metro Housing, but you have to have a zero balance on your power bill first. My power bill WAS up to 500 bucks, but since I have been working part-time, I have gotten it down to 155 dollars owing. So I have to wait longer in this horrible unsafe place with mold until I can be placed on a wait list for an affordable apartment with Housing. I am a little reluctant to go to the only building that Housing has in my neighbourhood that allows people my age into the building (not seniors), because it had bad pipes and the tenants got Legionnaires' disease from living there. Also there is a known pyromaniac in the building who was never evicted, yet continues to set fires inside the building repeatedly.

HRM needs rent control. There needs to be more affordable housing, and landlords and rental companies need to STOP discriminating against people who need social services. We all need a roof over our heads. I am doing the best I can and I always pay my rent on time. I have never defaulted on my rent. I am clean and quiet. I have good references but bad credit due to my circumstances of trying to survive day to day in a world where the cost of living is more than what I am allotted by welfare. Please increase the housing allowance for welfare recipients and please start a rent control program—I know I am not the only one who is in this hopeless situation! I hope the municipal politicians read this and make changes. PLEASE HELP!
—Chronic Bronchitis—Now I Know Why

I was very disturbed to hear that a report by NBC News named cigarette butts as the single greatest source of ocean pollution—surpassing plastic straws. PLEASE, SMOKERS, DISPOSE OF THESE DISGUSTING THINGS PROPERLY!!!!!
—Butt Hater

To the mature, tight-assed white woman who had such a problem with me smoking weed away from the crowd at the Pride parade, that she had a walk-by altercation with me: Loosen up.

You're at a Pride parade, hun. Telling me it's "the law" then calling the cops on me was the lamest thing you could have done. The cop thought you were ridiculous, and I didn't get fined, because nobody follows those designated-smoking-area rules. I guess I mostly just wanted to shine a light on the irony of your white spoiled ass bothering a cop to come talk to a queer person at a Pride parade, wanting her to FINE ME. Remember, my people rioted so you could put that cute little rainbow on your face sweetie, we don't care much for the law.

Oh, it was super cute when you yelled "fuck off" after I wished you a happy Pride. Girl, seek help. I'm sorry there was no manager you could have asked to speak to and that must have made you very scared and angry. I suggest a CDB pen, it really helps with the anger.

Anyway, love you! Sage your whole soul please.
—Friendly Gay Tryin' To Get High In Peace

…who leave the bus with a loud "thank you" to the numerous, obviously ill-behaved transit bus drivers, why? I wish I would hear more "fuck you mister bus driver!"s.
—Sad (Black, Duh) City Dweller
PS: I would post a rant directly to such drivers but I doubt I would get through to any of these rude, racist psychos tbh.

Hey neighbour! Why don't you smoke that skunky skunk in your house? What's that? Your wife doesn't want you stinking up your house?  Clearly, it comes as no surprise that my wife doesn't want you stinking my house? Anyway, I have a solution: Go ahead and smoke your pot in your yard—but have the decency to do it on the other side of your house where there are no neighbours.—Wafted wife wants me to throat-punch you