Springhill and Amherst Get Public Housing

Nova Scotia will build new public housing units in nine communities across the province, including Springhill and Amherst.

The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, John Lohr, made the announcement of a federal/provincial initiative today with Halifax MP Andy Fillmore.

The bulk of the new construction, in the form of high-rise buildings on existing public housing sites will be in the Halifax Regional Municipality. Twenty-five other units will accommodate up to 88 residents scattered through Glace Bay, Ingonish, Port Hawkesbury, Antigonish, Amherst, Springhill, Westville, and Barrington, with work completed by the end of March.

This, in addition to the 222 units announced last September. In all, this means new housing for more than 600 people and marks the largest investment in new public housing in 30 years.

Lohr says, “We need more affordable and accessible public housing, and we’re dedicated to finding quicker solutions. By using modular construction and building on provincially owned or serviced land, we’re getting more Nova Scotians into homes faster.”

The Province had set aside funding for modulars for those in need after the wildfires in Shelburne and Halifax Regional Municipality – $8.1 million of that funding will be used to purchase the 25 modular units, which will be operated by the Nova Scotia Provincial Housing Agency as deeply affordable rent-geared-to-income public housing.

The sites were selected based on suitability of the property, capacity to add more units to existing public housing sites, need for public housing and accessible units, and proximity to services and amenities such as grocery stores and public transit.

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