211 launches campaign to create awareness for Nova Scotians in rental housing

211 Nova Scotia, in partnership with Housing Nova Scotia and the Investment Property Owners Association of Nova Scotia (IPOANS), is launching an awareness campaign to Nova Scotians in rental housing.

Over the coming weeks, Housing Nova Scotia and IPOANS will distribute information about 211, 811 and 911 to 25,000 rental housing units across the province. The campaign, launched on the third anniversary of 211 service, will help educate tenants about important phone numbers related to their safety, health and social well-being.

911 is the emergency number to request immediate response of police, fire or ambulance.

811 is the number to call for health information and advice from a registered nurse.

211 is the number to call for information on human, social and community services.

“When 211 was launched three years ago today, we hoped that one of the benefits would be to divert calls away from 811 and 911,” said Mike Myette, executive director of 211 Nova Scotia. “211 is Nova Scotia’s ‘one-stop shop’ to find information on over 7,000 programs and services provided by charities, non-profits and any level of government. If the help they need is not an emergency or the answer to a health question, than we want people to know they can and should call 211.”

“Helping Nova Scotians find a home that is affordable is at the heart of what we do,” said Dan Troke, CEO of Housing Nova Scotia. “We know that many of our tenants need more help than what we can provide. We’re fortunate to have a free service such as 211 in our province and we want to make sure that our tenants know about it and use it whenever they need to.”

Jeremy Jackson, president of the Investment Property Owner’s Association says “ensuring the well-being of our tenants is fundamental to good business. We jumped at the opportunity to bring 211 into the fold of important numbers because there are many other services and supports available, but people often don’t know how to find them.”

Nova Scotians are encouraged to call 211 for services like disability support programs, parenting programs, mental health support if they are stressed, food support, home health care, income and financial assistance available, non-emergency police numbers if they need the police but it is not an emergency, and many other services.