Provincial release:
New public housing in Kentville will provide safe, affordable homes for about 100 people, including seniors and families.
The new housing will include 30 apartments – 19 more than originally planned – and construction will begin this spring. John Lohr, Minister of Finance and Treasury Board and MLA for Kings North, made the announcement today, January 20, on behalf of Housing Minister John White.
“When people have a comfortable and affordable home, they can focus more on their work, their family and overall quality of life,” said Minister Lohr. “This makes our community a better, safer place to live, too. That’s why our government is making the most significant investment ever in public housing, and why I am pleased to see more homes coming to Kentville for families, seniors and others in our community.”
The new housing, on provincially owned land on Justice Way, will include five one-bedroom and 25 two-bedroom apartments. Ten of the 30 apartments will be fully accessible. All will have heat pumps and be energy efficient.
Dora Construction has completed preliminary designs and sister company Eastcut is building the modular components in its Nova Scotia facility. Construction should be complete in summer 2027.
The project supports the government’s five-year housing plan, Our Homes, Action for Housing. In line with the plan, the government has committed $251 million to build 515 new public housing units across the province.
“Strong industry partnerships are essential to how we deliver results for the public. By working collaboratively with industry, we’re able to move fast and efficiently – advancing the construction of modular public housing to help meet this urgent community need for safe, dignified homes.”
— David Benoit, President and CEO, Build Nova Scotia
Quick Facts:
– the government previously announced that the new Kentville public housing would be on Oakdene Avenue, but the site was too small
– 69 per cent of current public housing tenants are seniors, 25 per cent are families and six per cent are couples or individuals younger than 58
– tenants will not pay more than 30 per cent of their income, before taxes, on rent
– Build Nova Scotia’s criteria for site selection includes distance to shopping, employment and other essential services; land ownership and size; readiness for development; and safety
Additional Resources:
Preliminary design rendering: https://news.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/2026-01/Approved%20Architectural%20Rendering_0.jpgNews release – Province Plans Largest-Ever Investment in New Public Housing: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/02/13/province-plans-largest-ever-investment-new-public-housing
News release – Housing Plan on Track to Meet or Exceed Goals: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/09/24/housing-plan-track-meet-or-exceed-goals
Progress report on housing plan, April 1, 2023, to July 31, 2025: https://novascotia.ca/action-for-housing/docs/action-for-housing-progress-report-2025-07.pdf
The Our Homes, Action for Housing plan and the 2023 provincial needs assessment report are at: https://novascotia.ca/action-for-housing
