More Affordable Housing For Sackville, Dartmouth

More provincially owned land is being awarded for affordable housing development in Sackville and Dartmouth, through the Land for Housing Program.

“Nova Scotians need more housing, and they need it now. We’re taking strong action and working with our valued partners on real solutions that will get affordable housing built for more people and families, faster,” said John Lohr, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “With the Land for Housing Program, created in 2022, we will open doors to 1,100 units, with almost half of them being affordable. This program is helping thousands of Nova Scotians access housing faster, and we are only just getting started.”

The program makes land available to eligible applicants committed to creating new affordable rental housing.

The Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia will receive 4.6 hectares (11.3 acres) of provincially owned land on Sackville Drive in Middle Sackville for the development of 106 mixed-market units, with 42 units affordable.

Metro Premier Properties will receive 4.2 hectares (10.3 acres) of provincially owned land on Broom Road in Dartmouth’s Westphal area; the proposal is for more than 300 units – 136 affordable – with room for more growth.

The projects are in the early pre-development and conceptual design phases; construction will begin once all municipal bylaw and permitting requirements are met.

Quotes:

“The Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia is grateful to the Province of Nova Scotia’s Land for Housing Program for the contribution of this meaningful site to support the construction of new, affordable housing units in Sackville. One of the biggest barriers to the creation of a meaningful number of affordable, community-owned housing units in the province is access to well-located, serviced sites for development. We are committed to solving the housing crisis through the building of forever affordable housing across Nova Scotia – housing that is well built, operates financially and environmentally sustainably, and is a place that our neighbours can be proud to call home. Through partnership with government, we will make this vision a reality in Sackville.”
— Michael Kabalen, Executive Director, Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia

“I believe our government is doing a lot of positive things to battle the housing crisis and I’m proud to be part of this, not only in the community I grew up in, but still live in.”
— Clark Wilkins, Metro Premier Properties

Quick Facts:

• since the Land for Housing Program launched in 2022, 12 proposals have been approved, unlocking the potential to create close to 1,100 units with almost half affordable
• under the Land for Housing program, applicants who demonstrate a commitment to exceeding the minimum requirements for affordability, energy efficiency and accessibility, while ensuring the long-term financial viability of their project, will be prioritized

Additional Resources:

News release – Province Partners on Affordable Housing in Antigonish: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2024/08/29/province-partners-affordable-housing-antigonish

News release – More Land for Housing Projects Approved: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2023/06/19/more-land-housing-projects-approved

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