Antigonish‘s mayor says the town is no different than the rest of the province when it comes to the need for affordable housing.
Members of the Antigonish Affordable Housing Society recently announced plans for their latest project- a 15-unit building on Appleseed Dr. near Antigonish Education Centre and Saint Andrew Junior School.
Antigonish town councillors are contributing $100,000, which is spread across five years.
After December’s regular town council meeting Monday night, Laurie Boucher, the mayor of Antigonish, said the project will fill a need in the community.
“There’s still many people in our town that live below the poverty level and have trouble finding housing,” she said. “Affordable housing is a concern across the province, and Antigonish is no different.”
Society reps have said they hope to have shovels in the ground by the spring or summer of 2020.
Boucher said town officials are happy to help fund the project.
“How can you say ‘no’ to a group of individuals that are so passionate about the work that they’re doing?” she said. “They’ve worked so hard on it for so long.”
Boucher said their counterparts in Antigonish Co. have committed the same amount.
She said their funding is contingent on society members securing other funding for the roughly $3-million project, and also on the project going to tender.
