Affordable Housing Units in Stellarton Provided Through Lending Program.

The Province is helping the Pictou County Roots for Youth Society purchase a building to provide five affordable supportive housing units in Stellarton.

“We’re pleased to help the society buy this property so that youth at risk have a safe supportive place to call home and where they can access the community supports and services they may need,” said Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister John Lohr. “This is great news for the community and for those youth who will live in these units.”

Roots for Youth received a $355,000 low-interest mortgage through the Province’s Community Housing Acquisition Program. The existing building will be renovated to provide five single-occupancy units for youth transitioning out of the society’s youth homeless shelter.

The Department of Community Services is providing $504,346 in annual funding for operations and support services for tenants, depending on identified needs such as maintaining their unit, referrals to mental health and addictions services, or system navigation supports.

Launched in July 2022, the Community Housing Acquisition Program is the first of its kind in Canada. Under the program, co-ops and non-profit housing providers can access up to $10 million in repayable low-interest loans to purchase existing rental units.

Quotes:

Pictou County Roots for Youth Society provides wonderful support to youth in their community, and we’re pleased to invest in their expansion of services – the first supportive housing initiative for youth in Pictou County.Trevor Boudreau, Minister of Community Services

As a youth-serving organization, we struggle daily sourcing housing options for our clients once they ‘graduate’ from our shelter program. The infusion of funding provided by CHAP has given life to our transitional housing project. This site will support our clients in the journey to end homelessness via mindful support and bolstered programming. Transitional housing is a staffed supportive housing model designed to aid clients to acquire affordable and sustainable housing. Working with the team at Community Services, the program will encompass wraparound holistic services to clients who no longer meet shelter mandates but are struggling to fit the mold of ‘traditional housing’.Tyler Babineau, Executive Director, Pictou County Roots for Youth Society

Quick Facts:

• the acquisition program fulfills the Nova Scotia Affordable Housing Commission’s recommendation to help non-profits finance the purchase of rental properties at risk of being converted into higher-end developments
• the Housing Trust of Nova Scotia was the first organization to receive a low-interest mortgage through the program and acquired nearly 300 affordable rental units in Halifax Regional Municipality
• the Department of Community Services has a supportive housing mandate to ensure Nova Scotians can maintain housing and access services and supports to address and prevent homelessness

Additional Resources:

News release – New Lending Program Supports Affordable Housing: https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20220713002

Mandate letter of the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing: https://novascotia.ca/exec_council/letters-2021/ministerial-mandate-letter-2021-MAH-EMO-MR.pdf

Mandate letter of the Minister of Community Services: https://novascotia.ca/exec_council/letters-2021/ministerial-mandate-letter-2021-DCS-OLA-SOW.pdf

Source : Provincial Release