First tiny home community in Nova Scotia will start welcoming residents next month

Nova Scotia’s first tiny home community in Lower Sackville will start welcoming its new residents the first week of November.

The community will provide housing for up to 70 people in 60 single and double-occupancy units.

“These are individuals that have had the unfortunate reality of not knowing, for example, where they're going to sleep tonight or not knowing where they're going to get their next meal so this will provide those basic needs,” said Joe Rudderham, executive director of the Atlantic Community Shelters Society.

Each unit is fully furnished, with a private washroom with a shower, and a kitchen with a fridge, microwave, cooktop and other small appliances.

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The province – which partnered with the Halifax Regional Municipality, United Way Halifax, The Shaw Group and Dexter Construction to build the community – says fully accessible units are also available.

A kitchen/living room inside a home in Nova Scotia's first tiny home community in Lower Sackville, N.S., is pictured. (CTV Atlantic/Jonathan MacInnis)

“Homelessness is a complex issue, and no single organization can solve it alone," said Brendan Maguire, minister of Community Services, in a news release Thursday.

“The tiny home community in Lower Sackville shows what’s possible when government, the private sector and not-for-profit partners collaborate on innovative solutions to get people housed and on the path to permanent stability.”

Currently, 26 single-occupancy and four double-occupancy units are available, providing housing for up to 34 people. Another 29 units will be completed in December, housing another 35 people.

Utilities – including electricity, water and internet – bedding and towels are included. Residents also have access to shared computers, office and laundry facilities.

A bedroom inside a home in Nova Scotia's first tiny home community in Lower Sackville, N.S., is pictured. (CTV Atlantic/Jonathan MacInnis)

The unit are owned by United Way Halifax, which will co-ordinate amenities and is responsible for maintenance and property management.

The Atlantic Community Shelters Society provides wraparound supports, including:

• counselling
• job search supports and referrals
• life skills training

The province says rent is capped at 30 per cent of a tenant’s income, which could include employment earnings or support from government programs such as employment insurance, income assistance and disability supports.

Sue LaPierre, senior executive director of United Way, expects the average cost of rent will be between $200 to $500 a month.

“This is supportive housing and it is the hope that supportive housing will provide the supports that are needed so people can move on to affordable housing,” said LaPierre.

The tiny home community was built on the spot where a large tent encampment recently popped up, causing concern in the community.

Lynn Gray, founder of Safer Sackville Community Stakeholders, says that concern is still there.

“The location that has been chosen has had a lot more to do with a steamrolling of the community than the community being involved in engagement,” said Gray.

Nova Scotia’s first tiny home community in Lower Sackville, N.S., is seen on Oct. 24, 2024. (CTV Atlantic/Jonathan MacInnis)

Even still, the province says it sees more tiny home villages in the future.

“We're learning as we go and this is an opportunity for us to do something new for Nova Scotia and we know when it's successful, we're hoping to be able to do more things like this,” said Suzanne Ley with Nova Scotia Community Services.

In the fall of 2023, the province provided $9.4 million for construction costs and says it will spend $935,000 for annual operating costs.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.