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Recent polls show housing and food security among top issues in Antigonish, Colchester, Cumberland, and Pictou counties.
Mental health counselling was the highest average reported need in Nova Scotia, although Halifax Regional Municipality made up a large plurality of total respondents (39 per cent), accounting for a skewed average of all counties. This article will focus on individual counties.
Nova Scotia 211 (NS211) is a polling service whose stated mission is to: “provide access to information, advocate for those in need, and encourage investment in social programs and services.” Recently, they released their first quarterly survey of the year, that focuses on trying to identify which issues Nova Scotians require the most assistance with. Their website boasts 14,179 Nova Scotians contacted for this survey, an average call time of six minutes and 42 seconds, and a 93 per cent caller satisfaction rate.
In terms of demographics, it states that adults aged 35-54 made up 40 per cent of respondents, 55-64 made up 27 per cent, and 19-34 made up 26 per cent. Additionally, women made up 59 per cent of respondents, and NS211 asserts that women in mid-life stages are most likely to reach out for assistance. Demographics are important to remember when considering survey findings.
Results were broken down by county. In Antigonish County, the biggest reported needs were “mental health and counselling,” tied with “housing and shelter.” What’s interesting is that housing and shelter is purportedly half as relevant of a need as it was in the first quarter of last year, while mental health services is double what it was. The greatest unmet need according to the poll was “outpatient health facilities.” However, Antigonish County made up only one per cent of respondents, about 140 people. This means that results are by no means definitive.
In Colchester County, the biggest identified need was housing and shelter, the same as it was this time last year. The biggest unmet need in Colchester was recorded as also being housing and shelter, potentially indicating that Colchester suffers more from this national issue than neighbouring counties.
Cumberland County’s main need according to NS211 was “food support,” with housing and health support services being tied closely behind. The most prevalent unmet need was health supportive services at 27 per cent, double that of last year. Speaking of last year, the biggest reported need was mental health counselling, at almost three times the amount as food support this year. Cumberland too, however, only made up around one per cent of respondents.
Finally, in Pictou County, housing and shelter was both the greatest reported need, twice as much as this time last year, and also the greatest reported unmet need. “Individual and family support,” while the greatest unmet need by far at almost 35 per cent in 2024, was no longer reported as a major need.
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