This Halifax woman makes about $50,000 a year – but still can’t find a home

A Halifax woman who is homeless despite making $50,000 a year says her hunt for an apartment is 'defeating' in the city's tight rental market.

Rae-Leigh MacInnes is tired of not having a place to call home.

The 44-year-old is a registered massage therapist and earns about $50,000 a year, but has been homeless for months as she has been unable to secure permanent housing.

“I keep trying, every day,” MacInnes told Global News.

Most of her furniture and belongings are put away. She’s able to rent a storage unit, but not a home.

For now, MacInnes has been couch-surfing and staying with friends, but she recognizes that isn’t sustainable.

If she can’t find a home, she worries about what this means for others – those on lower incomes, and who might not have friends to stay with.

“There’s so many people out there that do make less money, and they deserve the same thing,” she said. “They deserve to have a home too, that they feel safe in.”

MacInnes, who also attends university remotely, said she spends hours every day scouring Facebook Marketplace and Kijiji for apartments. She estimates she inquires about approximately 30 per day.