The Nova Scotia government remains committed to their plan to house people with disabilities and to phase out large institutions. The Disability Support Program has procured two custom designs for modular homes that will meet the needs of residents and be developed more quickly than traditional construction.
These homes will be as efficient as possible and will enable up to four people to live in a home that is not only accessible but energy efficient. They are set to be built this summer in Annapolis Valley, South Shore, Halifax, and Cape Breton with a goal of having people move in next year.
The two modular home designs were developed by RHAD Architectes and DORA Construction Limited. The homes will be built off site and then assembled on site. Factory construction allows for efficiency, lower costs, and less exposure to the elements during the building process. Diana Poirier, the Executive Director of the ROC Society in Port Hawkesbury welcomed the announcement saying the modular homes were well planned out and will provide a home for people with disabilities that are leaving the institutions.
“We are very excited about our partnership with the Department of Community Services.” says Eric Burchill the Vice President of Planning and Development at DORA Construction Limited. “Our biggest passion is community building, and you can’t properly build a proper community without inclusion. The Disability Support Program is a fantastic initiative, and it is essential to improve the lives of those who are often overlooked. We are extremely proud to be able to assist and use our expertise to create housing for people with disabilities, especially in this housing crisis we are facing in the province. ” RHAD Architects is also honoured to have their design concepts chosen and they look forward to working with the DCS.
The Department of Community Services is responsible for providing services under the Disability Support Program as part of their ministerial mandate. To date, the department invested $160,000 in modular home designs to speed up the construction process by having homes that will already meet licensing standards, federal building codes, and disability support program design requirements. Budget 2022-2023 invests an additional $54.2 million in programs that support people with disabilities.
