N.S. government to spend $50M on public-housing repairs

The Nova Scotia government will spend $50.7 million upgrading public-housing stock, but how, where and when the work will take place remains to be seen.

Cabinet signed an order in council on Tuesday approving the spending for Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister John Lohr's department.

"Nova Scotians living in public housing need to know we are making investments to support the places they call home to ensure they are safe and comfortable," department spokesperson Krista Higdon said in an email Wednesday.

Higdon said the money represents "multi-year augmented capital investments" to address aging infrastructure, deferred maintenance and to update outdated critical systems.

"Details on specific projects will be announced when they are available."

Deputy housing minister Paul Lafleche told a committee of the legislature last month that officials are working on a presentation for Lohr and his cabinet colleagues on ways to address the province's housing crisis.

New builds being considered

One of those options could be for the government to build new affordable housing stocksomething that has not happened for years.

The government recently placed responsibility for housing in the hands of a single, province-wide agency and shut down regional housing agencies. The move coincided with concerns highlighted by the auditor general that too many people were living in public housing units that were not the right size for their needs, and that the system was taking too long to turn over vacant units.

There are about 11,200 public housing units in Nova Scotia. About 6,000 people are on a wait list for a spot. It can take up to two years to get a placement. Lafleche cautioned the committee last month that it would take about two years to build new public housing.

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