Public Housing for Nova Scotians
Building Homes. Strengthening Communities.
Building Homes for Nova Scotians
Everyone deserves a safe, comfortable place to call home. That’s why the Province released its five-year Our Homes, Action for Housing plan Action for Housing – Government of Nova Scotia, Canada.
Part of the plan is dedicated to public housing – providing homes for more than 1300 Nova Scotians. The plan is supported by the largest investment ever in public housing – about a quarter-of-a-billion-dollars.
Roles and Responsibilities
Provincial departments and agencies, municipalities and the federal government work together to provide public housing.
The Department of Growth and Development
Sets policy in line with provincial priorities and federal agreements
Provides funding and strategic oversight
Build Nova Scotia
Leads planning, design and construction
Ensures projects stay on time and on budget
Municipalities
Work with Build Nova Scotia on site servicing (e.g., water, sewer), zoning, permits, etc.
Advise on community needs, share information with the community and provide feedback
The Nova Scotia Provincial Housing Agency
Manages all public housing
Determines who is eligible for new housing, based on a waitlist
Responds to tenant needs
Federal Government
Provides funding through federal-provincial housing agreements
Together, these roles create the foundation for collaboration and housing stability across the province.
Status of Projects
190 of 515 projects
are underway
or complete.
64
In planning and design
90
Under construction
36
Complete
Building Public Housing: Step-by-Step
Like in the rest of Canada, Nova Scotians need more housing quickly. The money is in place to get started, but building safe, modern homes takes time.
The project is reviewed after each step to monitor progress, identify any issues or risks, update project timelines, and adjust project plans, if needed, before moving to the next step. This helps keep the project on time and on budget.