New supportive housing facility coming to Halifax

The province says the facility will soon be home to seven African Nova Scotian men

CITYnews halifax \ Meghan Groff

Listen to this article

A new supportive housing facility is coming to Halifax.

The North End Community Health Centre has used a provincial grant of almost $700,000 to buy the house in central Halifax.

According to a By-Name List maintained by the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia, as of Feb. 7, there are 492 people in HRM experiencing homelessness.

A news release from the province says six African Nova Scotian men will be chosen from that list to become the facility’s residents.

A peer support counsellor will also live in the home and the men will have access to harm-reduction supports.

“We are excited to be acquiring new housing units that continue to prioritize people from the African Nova Scotian community, or who identify as being of African descent,” said North End Community Health Centre’s executive director Marie-France LeBlanc.

“We will continue to work with the community, our partners and our clients to ensure that the supports offered to tenants meet their needs. We will continue to enhance our peer support model with the hope that tenants can create a shared sense of home. We strive to create supportive housing from which well-being and healing can emerge.”

It’s expected the home’s new residents will be able to move in by the end of the month.