Truro Families will Benefit from New Housing Strategy Program
The first partnership to come out of the province's new housing strategy will help revitalize Truro and encourage more young families to put down roots in the community.
The province is working with the Town of Truro on the first Neighbourhood Improvement Program to revitalize the Alice Street area in the east end, Premier Darrell Dexter announced today, June 17.
"Every Nova Scotian deserves to have a safe and affordable place to live, in a community where they can build a good life," said Premier Dexter. "We know that a community is not just a collection of streets and buildings, it's a place that Nova Scotians call home. That's why this housing strategy is so much more than just building houses and housing units.
"This is about building communities and creating homes for families to raise their children, for young people to get started on the rest of their life, and for seniors to feel safe and secure in their golden years."
Truro residents identified the Alice Street Neighbourhood Improvement Program as a priority during the housing strategy consultation last November.
"We have already seen the benefits to families when people with different income levels are indistinguishable from one another," said MLA Lenore Zann, speaking on behalf of Community Services Minister Denise Peterson-Rafuse. "In fact, Truro's King Street, with its new apartment complex, art gallery and other improvements, is a wonderful success story. It provides a great foundation that can be expanded further east to an area that has seen little development over the years.
"Both the new revitalization program and the Alice Street residential development will help attract more young families and help our east-end community create a more beautiful, family-friendly and safer environment for all to enjoy."
The heart of the revitalization project is developing the former Alice Street School site. The province will also redevelop another property it owns on Alice Street, and will offer new and existing programs to residents to improve curb appeal.
Gloria Upham is a retired teacher who lives in the neighbourhood and used to walk along Alice Street to her job at the elementary school.
"I'd love to see the area revitalized," Ms. Upham said. "I really believe that this effort will inspire all of us to take pride in our homes and enhance the neighbourhood."
The town council unanimously approved the development June 11. Along with a new playground, the new residence will bring 28 apartments to the area.
"Alice Street School was the centre of the community where kids went to school, neighbours met neighbours and events were staged over many years in Truro's east end," said Truro Mayor Bill Mills. "It was the meeting place where many successes were realized and students were recognized for their accomplishments and everybody knew each other and cared for each other. Now we have come full circle in this new development, caring for the needs of our families."
"I feel strongly about offering new housing options in this neighbourhood," said developer Ron Meech of Meech Holdings. "These efforts, along with the municipal and provincial efforts, will bring about the changes the community has asked for."
Under the Neighbourhood Improvement Program, residents can get funding to support revitalization efforts such as landscaping, exterior painting and some exterior repairs.
For more information on the province's housing strategy, go to http://www.gov.ns.ca/coms/hs/Housing_Strategy.pdf .