Federal government announces 136 new housing units in Upper Hammonds Plains, N.S.

The federal government announced 136 new affordable homes in Upper Hammonds Plains, N.S., on Saturday.

According to a news release from the federal government, the property at 195 Equestrian Lane will soon be home to the Upper Hammonds Plains Housing Co-operative which is designed to preserve and strengthen African Nova Scotian culture and heritage while providing safe, affordable housing.

“Hammonds plains is a historic African Nova Scotian community, of 52 in Nova Scotia. And our community has faced generations of disposition and systemic barriers that prevent us from being able to create opportunities like this one. So, it is profound that we are able to generate this project through a volunteer lead board and all the dedication and time that it took to get to that,” said Curtis Whiley, Upper Hammonds Plains Land Trust President and Founder.

The project includes 29 accessible units and is expected to be completed by spring 2027.

“The Upper Hammonds Plains Housing Co-operative is a powerful example of what’s possible when governments, builders, and communities come together with shared purpose,” said Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore.

“For generations, African Nova Scotian communities like Upper Hammonds Plains have shaped Halifax’s history, resilience, and identity. This project not only creates 136 much-needed homes, including 29 accessible units, but also honours that legacy while supporting the families who will soon call this place home.”

This project is part of the Co-operative Housing Development Program, which the federal government said is the largest investment in new co-op housing in more than 30 years.

“Their plans are bigger, to make sure that people in this community and hopefully people in the province and even across the country can access affordable, secure safe housing,” said Sackville-Bedford-Preston MP Braedon Clark. “This is a historic African Nova Scotian community, 210 years old now. To have that here and lead the community, is what is going to be so instrumental with this project.”

According to the release, the Upper Hammonds Plains Housing Co-operative has received more than $61 million in federal funding.

“This is a big moment for us. This is profound. We have been mobilizing around the idea of a community land trust for years in Upper Hammond’s Plains and we didn’t know when the first like big project was going to happen. We didn’t know it would be this size. But a lot has gone into this and getting to this point,” said Whiley.

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