A new public housing project in Lower Sackville, N.S., is nearing completion and while the building appears to have been built out of nowhere, most of the construction has already been happening off-site. The new 22-unit modular apartment building is really taking shape along Old Beaver Bank Road, as construction crews moved sections of the roof into place with a crane on Wednesday morning. Nova Scotia Housing Minister John White says modular construction projects like this will help get more units built and increase the public housing supply faster. The province announced in 2025 they were going to spend more than $250 million to build 515 public housing units. “Which is the biggest housing announcement in the province’s history,” said White. “And we’re just about the 300 mark right now, that are at various stages of constructions such as this one.” The project is being built by lead contractor and builder Dora Construction with modular building components being built off-site in Trenton, N.S., by Eastcut. Build Nova Scotia is also involved in the building and land acquisition work. Nathaniel Venedam, president and COO of Dora Construction, believes this type of modular construction project to be a quick solution for the province to addressing the lack of available affordable housing across the province. “I think it does make sense for the province to go this method of construction,” said Venedam. The project has a price tag of around $12.1 million, and while there is still around three to four months of construction left, those involved say it’s a quick way to build homes. This four-storey building in Lower Sackville is made up of 76 modular blocks all tied together. “We’re shipping roughly six to nine boxes a day,” said Venedam. The province says modular construction can cutdown on time and costs, an important advantage as it looks to grow its public housing stock. This type of modular housing construction is being used elsewhere in the province. “There’s one very similar to this one in Glace Bay and there’s 30 units going up in Kentville right now,” said White. “These kind of units are really making a mark and it’s a sector that is ready to really move and really help with supply of housing.” For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
