The Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s received federal government funding to the tune of $775,560 through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) Housing Accelerator Fund for local housing development.
A release from the municipality states the funding will be used over three years on multiple affordable housing initiatives, with the goal of building at least 20 new housing units and setting up continued growth over the next 10 years.
The release also stated the funding will support the municipality`s next steps in its neighbourhood concept plan. One of the goals of this plan is to develop 50 acres of municipally owned land beside Stonewall Park in Sherbrooke for housing. The municipality also invited the Nova Scotia Department of Long-Term Care to consider locating the expected new Sherbrooke long-term care home in the neighbourhood concept subject land.
The plan is to spend around $300,000 on upgrades to the capacity, efficiency, and growth viability of water and wastewater utilities so that they are better enabled to support more housing.
$127,000 is going towards tools and resources allowing the municipality to work effectively with developers and provide improved permit service, while $62,000 will support partnerships with affordable housing developers operating under a development agreement with the municipality to complete related studies and plans. At the end of the three years, the municipality will receive approximately $194,000 of the overall funding grant to continue housing initiatives beyond the end of the program.
Warden James Fuller thanked the federal government, noting the district was excited to get the support.
