A community hub, including an emergency shelter, with regular meals and six supportive housing units is set to open in Amherst, N.S. early next month. It was a project that was discussed for years, but made a reality when the town’s council ponied up $100,000 to create a new position.
The executive director of the Cumberland Homelessness and Housing Support Association was created with funds out of the municipal budget. The person who holds that position was tasked with making the project a reality. Ashley Legere is that person. The project and build is now fully funded, with money kicked in from both the province and the federal governments.
Legere said having the larger community buy-in was integral to this project. “I’ve spent a lot of my career defending what we do in other places and I have had very little pushback here,” she said.
The YMCA of Cumberland did a survey of the community’s needs a few years ago.
“There were 48 individuals who identified as sleeping rough or precariously housed from January 2023 until May of 2023,” said Legere.
So the province, the municipality and non profit groups worked together to open an emergency shelter located in Crossroads Church, then a supportive community hub in a different building nearby.
“We housed between six and 12 individuals in our overnight shelter, on average, but we are serving upwards of 50 meals a day to individuals who are housed, said Legere.
“Since May, we have served over 10,000 meals.”
Soon, all of these services, as well as six new supportive housing units will be available under one roof at 10 Prince Arthur.
According to Leon Landry, Amherst town councilor, member and chair of the Poverty Reduction Advisory Committee, and member of the Cumberland Homelessness and Housing Support Association, the idea for one building to provide wrap around services has been on the table for a while, but the ball really started rolling when Amherst Town Council committed its own money to the project.
“I mean, the Department of Community Services flat out said we would not have funded you had this executive director position not been created,” said Landry.
He said there was initial skepticism amongst council and the greater community, and rightfully so, because on paper housing is a provincial issue.
But, now that the project is fully paid for and scheduled to be opened in just a few weeks, he said the gamble paid off.
“The proof is in the pudding,” said Landry.
