New public housing building in Liverpool expected to welcome residents in June
A new public housing development in Liverpool is expected to begin welcoming residents next month as part of Nova Scotia’s broader push to expand affordable housing across the province.
Provincial and local officials gathered on Tuesday to officially unveil the new eight-unit building, which includes a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments. Four of the units are fully accessible.
The project is one of four new public housing developments announced for western Nova Scotia in 2024.
Housing Minister John White said the Liverpool project is part of a historic provincial investment in public housing.
“Government has made a historic commitment to create 515 public housing units, helping more than 1,300 people across the province,” White said during the announcement.
The province says more than 100 of those units are either completed or underway in western Nova Scotia.
White said tenants in the Liverpool building will pay no more than 30 per cent of their income toward rent.
The building also includes heat pumps, modern appliances, patios or balconies for tenants and barrier-free accessible units.
Queens MLA Kim Masland called the project an important addition for the region.
“Affordable and accessible housing is certainly an issue,” Masland said.
Region of Queens Mayor Scott Christian says affordable rental housing continues to be one of the biggest challenges facing the area.
“We know with 100 per cent certainty that access to affordable rental units is particularly where there’s a real pinch point,” Christian said in an interview with our newsroom.
Christian said it was encouraging to see both new market housing and non-market affordable housing projects moving ahead in the region.
“Obviously we need a lot more of it, but this is a great start,” he said.
The mayor noted council had to work through typical planning and site servicing requirements during the project, including stormwater management concerns raised by some neighbouring property owners.
Still, Christian says the relationship between the municipality and province has helped move projects like this forward.
Residents are expected to begin moving into the building in June.
