New Affordable Housing in Dartmouth

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The first residents of 32 new affordable homes for women and their children in Dartmouth have moved in, with more to follow in the coming weeks.Residents of these townhomes, in the Mount Hope neighbourhood, will also have access to wraparound services tailored to meet their needs, such as support for maintaining the unit, referrals to mental health and healthcare services, and employment skills training.

“Having a safe, supportive home means more than having four walls and a roof,” said Timothy Halman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and MLA for Dartmouth East, on behalf of Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister John Lohr. “We’re pleased to play a role in creating inclusive, welcoming communities where the residents are able to grow and thrive. This is another great example of how government and community partners are working together to bring more affordable, supportive housing solutions to Nova Scotians, faster.”

With funding and support from the federal government, the Province of Nova Scotia and Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), YWCA Halifax acquired 32 newly constructed two- and three-bedroom townhomes in Mount Hope Village. With one unit set aside for a superintendent, residents began moving into the 31 supportive housing units in August.

YWCA Halifax is working to move families with children into the units. In partnership with the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre, 10 units will be set aside for urban Indigenous families who are in core housing need and experiencing homelessness. Twelve units will be set aside for families currently living in hotels and being supported by Adsum for Women and Children. The remaining units will be filled from existing YWCA Halifax housing programs.

Funding for staffing, operations and wraparound services will be provided by the Department of Community Services.

Quotes:
“Today’s announcement means that more than 30 families will have a safe and affordable place to call home here in Dartmouth. Our federal government is always at the table and ready to partner with good stakeholders and other orders of government to build and acquire homes for individuals and families in our communities. Complete with wrap around services, these two- and three-bedroom affordable townhomes at Mount Hope Village bring us another step towards ending the housing crisis here in Nova Scotia – great news, but we must keep going!”
— Darren Fisher, Member of Parliament for Dartmouth-Cole Harbour, on behalf of Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities“

It is important that families have the support they need to have safe and secure places to raise their children. Investing in partners like YWCA Halifax and MNFC ensures that families living in these units have access to what they need to be successful.”
— Brendan Maguire, Minister of Community Services“These townhouses will offer much needed affordable homes in a community of belonging thanks to the commitment of the YWCA, and the collaboration across orders of government. It serves as a strong example of what we can achieve when we work together in common purpose.”
— Mike Savage, Mayor, Halifax Regional Municipality

“This project demonstrates the art of the possible when we work together. When we lean into each of our respective expertise and with the support of all orders of government, we can achieve affordability and complete communities at scale. Quality modular housing and solid partnerships offer a viable way out of the housing crisis.”
— Miia Suokonautio, Executive Director, YWCA Halifax

Quick Facts:
– construction was completed in July
– the total project cost is more than $12.29 million, with investments by the three levels of government and YWCA Halifax:
– $2.9 million in forgivable funding from the Province through the Affordable Housing Development Program
– $8.36 million in repayable and forgivable funding from the Government of Canada through the Affordable Housing Fund
– $650,000 from HRM
– $375,000 in cash equity from YWCA Halifax

– the Department of Community Services is providing $510,000 in annual operating costs to YWCA Halifax, and the annual operating budget for the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre is being finalized

– community housing organizations and private developers can apply for forgivable loans from Nova Scotia’s Affordable Housing Development Program to help fund the construction of new housing or the conversion of non-residential buildings

Additional Resources:
Nova Scotia housing programs and services: https://housing.novascotia.ca/programs-and-services 

The Province’s five-year housing plan – Our Homes, Action for Housing: https://novascotia.ca/action-for-housing/docs/strategic-plan-action-for-housing.pdf 

Government of Canada housing initiatives: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/finance/manage/housing.html

Halifax Regional Municipality Affordable Housing Grant program: https://www.halifax.ca/about-halifax/regional-community-planning/affordable-housing/affordable-housing-grant-program

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