What started as a vision more than four years ago is quickly moving towards reality with construction of Sunrise Landing in Pugwash.
Construction of the 40-unit inclusive housing development began last summer with the first of 16 buildings nearing completion and the first tenants expected to move in sometime later this summer.
If all goes well, supporters of the project hope to have the entire project completed by November.
“The project is progressing very well, despite some weather issues and a long winter,” Sunset Community CEO Julie Hoeg said. “It created some challenges and delays, but things are moving along very good now and we’re looking forward to having our first people moving in over the summer. We’re very happy with the progress.”
The housing project will offer a mix of accessible, affordable and market-rate housing options with one, two and three-bedroom units. It supports inclusive and independent living, addresses local housing demand and contributes to the long-term sustainability of the Pugwash area.
The project received a boost last summer in a $7-million federal investment through the Affordable Housing Fund, along with $3 million in non-repayable loans from the province, $300,000 from the Municipality of Cumberland, $50,000 from the Community Housing Transformation Centre, $500,000 from the River Philip Foundation and $129,163 from the Sunset Community.
Part of the reason for the project is the Nova Scotia Human Rights Remedy that aims to move residents from institutional environments and giving them choices about where and how they live with the right supports in place.
The project also came out of a survey completed by the Sunset Community that identified a housing shortage that was impacting employees and community members as well as a shortage of child-care spots for staff members’ children.
“We’re very excited about this project and to hear the excitement from the people who are going to be moving in is incredible,” Hoeg said, adding a couple of units were built near the Co-op while a child-care facility, operated by the Cumberland YMCA, opened at Sunset last year.
The housing project is very popular in the community, so popular that the organization was flooded with applications and had to remove the link from its website because there wasn’t capacity to accept any more.
“We recognize the need for affordable housing in the community,” said Dean Pounder, who is coordinating the project for Sunset. “We have people working with us that want to live in Pugwash, but the question is where do they live? Also, it’s difficult for people to pay $2,000 a month for a mortgage or rent and then try to put food on the table. That’s why we’re working to provide affordable housing, so living in the community is an option.”
Sunset Community board chair and District 3 Coun. Jennifer Houghtaling said Sunrise Landing is bigger than Sunset. It’s something that’s providing economic development during construction, and something that will continue for years in increasing the housing supply in the community.
“It’s a gamechanger. The growth that Pugwash will experience from something like this is immeasurable,” Houghtaling said. “Something like this rarely happens in smaller communities like Pugwash.”
The organization is also extremely complimentary toward their project partner Cross Roads Sport and Cycle and its owner Lee Weir.
From building sheds and secondary buildings seven years ago, Weir’s company grew to building mini-homes about three years ago and now full-size homes and multi-unit homes out of its Pugwash location and employing more than 90 people.
“From our perspective it’s going good, but there are always hurdles to overcome,” Weir said. “We don’t look at them as obstacles, but as opportunities and we’re learning every day.”