More Affordable Housing for Cumberland County

The first residents of new affordable housing units in Cumberland County have moved in, and more people will have a new home when construction of an Amherst development is complete later this year.

There will be 27 new affordable units in the county by the fall, with 20 already completed in Springhill and Amherst.

“Our government is doing everything we can to get people into more affordable housing faster, and today we’re seeing the results for residents living in the Cumberland area,” said Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton, MLA for Cumberland South, on behalf of Growth and Development Minister Colton LeBlanc. “Investments in these projects are increasing housing supply in the area, improving affordability for residents, helping our communities and growing the local economy.”

With funding support from the Province, Six Point Star Homes Ltd. recently completed construction of two new buildings with six affordable units at 42 and 46 Queen St., Springhill. The new development was built to meet or exceed net-zero energy efficiency standards and includes a mix of one-bedroom and two-bedroom units. Total project costs amounted to more than $1.1 million, including an investment of $615,000 in forgivable funding from the Province through the Affordable Housing Development Program.

Three projects in Amherst also received support through the program, including:

• eight affordable units by Six Point Star Homes Ltd. at 17 and 21 Poplar St.; $800,000
• six affordable units in a 10-unit development by JW Development Ltd. at 4 Prince Arthur St.; $342,000
• seven affordable units by Six Point Star Homes Ltd. are under construction at 96 Church St. and are expected to be ready in late summer or in the fall; $560,000.

The projects represent an investment of more than $2.3 million in affordable housing in Cumberland County.

Quotes:

“All methods of delivering affordable housing are important. With the funding provided by the Province, we’re pleased to be able to bring 21 net-zero ready apartments available to the people of Cumberland County, a feat that would not be possible without this support.”
— Tom Mattinson, President, Six Point Star Homes Ltd.

Quick Facts:

• since 2023, the Province has paved the way to create 51,352 new housing units under the Action for Housing plan
• 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
• more than 3,500 affordable and supportive housing units across the province have been enabled through government support

Additional Resources:

News release – New Community Housing Hub and Emergency Shelter in Cumberland County: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2024/03/14/new-community-housing-hub-emergency-shelter-cumberland-county

News release – Housing Plan Progress Exceeds Targets in First Year: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/02/24/housing-plan-progress-exceeds-targets-first-year