Earlier this week, provincial housing minister John Lohr toured new supportive housing units in Dartmouth that will soon become homes for people experiencing homelessness.
Lohr toured the building that was once a Travelodge Hotel, now renamed into “The Overlook," a 65-unit building turned into a supportive housing project designed to help vulnerable Nova Scotians living on the streets.
North End Community Health Centre CEO Marie-France LeBlanc, and representatives from HRM and the provincial community services department were all part of the tour and said the new housing will provide wraparound services to help the vulnerable population stay housed.
"This new housing is going to be for those experiencing homelessness and addiction, who are actively using. It's going to be a 24/7 operation, with nurse-led personal care workers and there'll be a dispensary, an addiction specialist and housing support workers to support people to remain housed," said North End Community Health Centre CEO, Marie-France LeBlanc.
Last week, Minister John Lohr toured the building that was once a Travelodge Hotel with North End Community Health Centre CEO Marie-France LeBlanc. Photo contributed.
LeBlanc said the hotel has been turned into an apartment complex with bachelor and one-bedroom rooms, with part of the units being utilized for palliative care and Step Down Units as well.
LeBlanc said the name was changed to 'The Overlook' because the unit overlooks the city and because it is going to house people that have traditionally been overlooked.
She said some of the challenges faced in this project were delays in finding staff, building policies and procedures, and experiencing delays in construction. As for the new year, LeBlanc is working on several initiatives to address the housing crisis as the vacancy rate in Halifax is 1%.
"We have 700 people on the By Name List looking for housing. And those are just the ones that we know. We will have a new building that we're closing on next week, which is just part of our ongoing purchasing," she said.
The initiative was funded by the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia and the Department of Community Services. The federal government and HRM invested $6.5M into the project, while the province provided $3.5M to purchase the former hotel and will cover $1.9M in annual operating costs. Tenants will start moving in within the next few days. LeBlanc said it will be fully occupied by 2023.
"The homelessness crisis is one that is affecting so many people, and it is not a choice to be living on the street, but rather a result of systemic issues that we have as a society. I encourage everybody to practice compassion and to be aware that this is not a choice that people have made," said LeBlanc.
Listen to the full CKDU interview below: