Provincial release:

More Yarmouth residents will soon have access to affordable homes through a partnership between the Province, federal government and the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia.

Renovations are underway on a three-storey Victorian building, formerly a rooming house, on James Street to convert it to a 12-unit complex with seven affordable units. Nick Hilton, MLA for Yarmouth, made the announcement today, February 19, on behalf of Housing Minister John White.

“Each affordable home strengthens our community. Preserving and converting the housing we have is just as important as building new ones,” said Mr. Hilton. “By working closely with the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia, we’re opening the door for more Yarmouth residents to find an affordable place to call home.”

The Province is investing $1.3 million in the project through the Community Housing Infrastructure and Repair Program. The program provides forgivable loans to non-profit and co-op housing providers for capital repairs to keep community housing safe, functional and livable, including restoring units that are currently not livable.

Preserving affordable housing through partnerships with community housing organizations is a key component of the Province’s five‑year housing plan Our Homes, Action for Housing, which is focused on reducing barriers, speeding up development, and helping more Nova Scotians access affordable housing, faster.

Housing starts are up 36 per cent over the past two years, and in the first two years of the housing plan, every goal has been exceeded, with the conditions created for more than 68,000 new housing units.

“Projects like these make communities better, and better communities benefit us all. The federal government is proud to have been a part of making this happen. This is more evidence of what we can do, as a country, when we work together.”— Chris d’Entremont, Member of Parliament for Acadie–Annapolis, on behalf of Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure

“We are privileged to be a trusted partner of the Province and the federal government in these essential retrofits, which help support the ecosystem of work needed to increase the supply of affordable housing and decrease the inflow of people into homelessness in our province.” 
— Michael Kabalen, Executive Director, Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia

“Like many small Canadian towns, Yarmouth needs more affordable housing, and we’ve made strong progress over the past two years. The AHANS project at 8 James Street shows how a building with deep community roots can be repurposed to provide homes for our residents. With today’s announcement, the property will receive energy‑efficient upgrades that preserve its character. We’re grateful for the support as we continue to expand Yarmouth’s housing stock.” 
— Pam Mood, Mayor of Yarmouth

Quick Facts:
– the federal government is investing $1.47 million through the Canada Greener Affordable Housing program;other investments include $100,000 from the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia, $50,000 from the Town of Yarmouth and $97,680 from Efficiency Nova Scotia
– the building, which has been vacant for more than five years, had been known as Sunset Terrace; it had 21 rooms, and most residents were low-income seniors- the Community Housing Infrastructure and Repair Program helps community housing providers preserve affordable housing units by providing forgivable loans, of up to 100 per cent of eligible costs
– under the Community Housing Infrastructure and Repair Program, at least 30 per cent of units must be rented to low-income households
– since 2021, almost $300 million has been invested in community housing organizations to create or preserve more than 3,000 affordable units across Nova Scotia

Additional Resources:
Department of Growth and Development housing programs: https://beta.novascotia.ca/housing-programs-department-growth-and-development

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

Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia: https://www.ahans.ca/