Liverpool affordable housing project could start construction by end of year

A rendering of the Queens Neighbourhood Co-operative Housing development planned for Liverpool. (QNCH)

An affordable housing development for Liverpool could break ground by this fall.

Queens Neighbourhood Co-operative Housing is planning a 26-unit development off Lawrence Street that will include one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom units in two separate buildings.

It’s passive design, net zero-ready housing that will welcome tenants from all income groups.

The group was formed as a result of consultations by the Queens Care Society, which identified transportation and housing as vital for Queens County’s older population.

The Region of Queens sold the land to the group for $1 and rezoned the area. It also committed $203,000 toward the project. 

Initially, the group expected to start construction this spring. But now they hope to break ground later this year.

Earl Mielke, with Inclusive Homes Consulting, has been working with the Queens Neighbourhood Co-operative Housing board. He said Monday that there have been some delays in the initial work on design and preparation. 

But he said they’re at the final stages of the design, and are working now with a cost consultant, before they make funding requests to the province and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. CMHC requires groups to use a cost consultant because it wants a good idea of the final project cost.

“We hope to have our funding in place and a contractor hired, realistically late fall. Early fall, late fall, it all depends on how quickly the funders turn the funding over. And the availability of contracts is a big factor.

“Realistically, we really hope to get something started there by the end of this year.”

He said the group expects the whole project to be in the $6-$7-million range, though that could change as the project progresses.

“A lot of it will depend on the funders. But what we’re getting from the feds and the province, they’re really anxious to get some wins for affordable housing. The initial discussions we’ve had are very positive. We’re seen as one of the more shovel-ready on this scale. Things are going well.”

Mielke said rent for the units will be based on a mixed-income approach. Rents will be at or below the median market rate. 

He said that could mean the highest rent would be about $1,200 a month. But he cautioned that that could change depending on final construction costs.  

“A mix of incomes, the rents are all basically the same across the board. It’s just a matter of what types of rent supplement or income testing assistance will be available. And a lot of that is negotiated with the province.

“If you have a single pensioner on old age pension, they can’t afford $1,200 a month. So there will be units that will be designated for people on lesser incomes.”

Mielke says this is just the first of what the group hopes will be more affordable housing developments in other areas of Queens. 

“The intent is do this one, do it really well and then move into another neighbourhood. Initially, it was like 100 units over three years. Now it’s more like 100 units over three to five years. … We’re just looking at ways to … get more affordable housing.”

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Liverpool co-op housing passes another hurdle at council

A forested area beside a walking trail

Future site of proposed Co-op housing along Trestle Trail. Photo Ed Halverson

Region of Queens Council voted in favour of rezoning for 26 units of affordable housing in Liverpool.

In November, Council approved selling four adjoining lots between Lawrence and Amherst streets and Trestle Trail and the Queens Street Extension to Queens Neighbourhood Cooperative Housing Ltd, an offshoot of the Queens Care Society group for one dollar.

The area is currently zoned for Lower Density Residential and needs to be redesignated for Multiple Unit Residential to accommodate the two proposed buildings.

The municipality’s Planning Advisory Committee approved the proposed development at their June 19 meeting. Council approved the rezoning at Tuesday’s council meeting following a public hearing where no one spoke for or against the proposed development.

If the rezoning is upheld a public notice will be issued Aug 16 and the four parcels will be rezoned Multiple Unit Residential effective Aug 31.

Mayor Darlene Norman says council wants to do everything it can to get this project of the ground as everyone is aware of the desperate need for more housing.

“We’re a year and a half in already from the time we first started talking about council selling the land,” said Norman. “Because then you have to go through the public hearing of selling it for a dollar and all other such things, and then the deeds, and then the rezoning, so we’re going through this as quickly as we can.”

At an expected cost of $6 million, the development will require funding from several sources and the cooperation of different levels of governments and other agencies.

The municipality has already committed $203,000 in the 2023-24 budget for the group to complete predevelopment work on the site including project management and engineering fees, architectural drawings costs and a landscape architect as well as initial site clearing, road access excavation and digging test pits.

Norman says the Region will continue to assist the Queens Neighbourhood Cooperative Housing Ltd.

“It’s their project so we’re not sticking our nose in it, but everything they need, every help they want, they come see us,” said Norman.

The new development will focus on seniors but aims to be inclusive and diverse.

As a co-op, the units will be owned by members who will form a democratically elected board of directors to make decisions about maintenance or improvements of their units. In the co-op model, members will not build equity in their unit like a private homeowner. Instead that equity will be used to build more units and pay off the development over a longer mortgage period, between 40 and 50 years, keeping the units affordable.
As one occupant leaves, the next occupant won’t be faced with a massive increase in housing costs.

The board of the Queens Neighbourhood Cooperative Housing Ltd. is working to break ground on the new development in early spring of 2024.

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Queens Council clears the way for co-op housing development

A forested area beside a walking trail

Future site of proposed Co-op housing along Trestle Trail. Photo Ed Halverson

A Liverpool co-op housing project is closer to becoming a reality as it makes its way through the development process.

Region of Queens sold the Queens Neighbourhood Cooperative Housing Ltd four parcels of land for a dollar in November 2022 to build 26 units of affordable housing.

The housing cooperative petitioned Region of Queens council to rezone the 2.6-acre property at the last council meeting.

Before any building permits can be issued, the land bordered by Amherst, Brunswick, and Lawrence Street on three sides and the Trestle Trail on the other needs to be rezoned.

The area is currently zoned for Lower Density Residential and needs to be redesignated for Multiple Unit Residential to accommodate the two proposed buildings.

The development has already been approved by the Planning Advisory Committee at their June 19 meeting.

Region of Queens Mayor Darlene Norman says the Co-op housing group is still busily working behind the scenes to move the project forward as they await the rezoning.

“When you’re building these multi-unit residences there’s things you need to consider. You need to have the engineers look at the ground and site suitability and all that,” said Norman. “So they’re getting all their background work done and I guess my answer would be no, they would not be given a building permit to start any of this until it was rezoned although it would not prevent them from doing site work.”

Council voted in favour of the rezoning and a public meeting will be held before the start of the August 8 Region of Queens Council meeting.

If the rezoning is upheld a public notice will be issued Aug 16 and the four parcels will be rezoned Multiple Unit Residential effective Aug 31.

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Rezoning and new police oversight board highlight recent Queens Council Meeting

Group photo of Region of Queens council

Region of Queens Council. Photo Region of Queens

The creation of a new police oversight board and rezoning for affordable housing topped the items at the recent Region of Queens Council meeting.

Council was on the road this Tuesday, June 27 at the Greenfield Fire Hall with a relatively light agenda.

Three recommendations came forward.

The first was a $5260 grant to the Privateer Days Commission from the Community Investment Fund. The money will help the Commission offset the $42,080 operational costs for this year’s event.

Next council put forth three names to be considered for the Provincial Volunteer Awards. Each year the Region selects two people for recognition.

In recent years the Region would select names from the Ripple Effect program, a municipal program for the public to recognize the volunteer efforts of others. Despite many requests, no nominations were received this year, so council had to submit names.

Beach Meadows resident Amy MacGowan will receive the award for her work to independently raise money for several community organizations. Notably, in the past year she has raised $35,000. Of that, $27,000 went to assist two local families dealing with cancer diagnoses and another $6,000 was raised to assist those impacted by the recent wildfires in Shelburne County.

The second recipient is Sylvia Hurley from Liverpool. Hurley is active in numerous groups throughout Liverpool including the Victorian Order of Nurses, the K-ettes, Ladies Auxiliary Milton Baptist Church, Hank Snow Tribute, and the Queens County PC Association.

Both women will be recognized at a provincial ceremony planned for September 25.

The final recommendation was to rezone a parcel of land in Liverpool from Lower Density Residential to Multiple Unit Residential. The rezoning is needed to allow the construction of the two proposed buildings along Lawrence Street.

In November 2022, Council sold four parcels of land for a dollar to the Queens Neighbourhood Cooperative Housing Ltd to build 26 units of affordable housing.

The Planning Advisory Committee approved the rezoning at their June 19 meeting.

Now that council has given their blessing, residents will have their say at a public meeting ahead of the August 8 Region of Queens Council meeting. Provided there are no objections, the rezoning will go into effect Aug 31.

Three items were up for discussion.

The first was a Council Implementation report from staff to indicate how several council initiatives are proceeding.

The second was a request to waive tipping fees for a family who recently lost their home in a fire and don’t have the means to pay for disposal of the burnt materials.

Interim CAO Dan McDougall said other municipalities have a compassionate fund to assist people in this situation and suggested Queens could do the same. After discussing the matter, council requested staff come back with a report on how the compassionate fund could work in Queens.

The final item up for discussion was the creation of a Police Advisory Board.

By law, each municipality must have Police Advisory Board.

According to the staff presentation, “…Council has been the governance body acting as the Police Advisory Board with the understanding that this approach had received approval from the Minister of Justice at the time when this practice started. However, written approval from the Minister of Justice (pursuant to section 57(8) of the Police Act) for this governance model has not been located.”

One of the recommendations that came out of the Mass Casualty Commission Report in March was that “Municipalities and the Province of Nova Scotia should ensure that police boards and police advisory boards are fully staffed and performing their governance function.”

The Region of Queens was notified by the Department of Justice in May that they will need to establish a stand-alone Police Advisory Board. Staff are now working to get a board in place by September.

The next Region of Queens Council meeting will be held July 11, beginning at 9:00am in council chambers.

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Co-op housing coming to Liverpool for the first time in decades

A forested area beside a walking trail

Future site of proposed Co-op housing along Trestle Trail. Photo Ed Halverson

Work has started to bring 26 units of affordable housing to Liverpool.

Queens Neighbourhood Cooperative Housing Ltd, an offshoot of the Queens Care Society has been busy making plans over the past year to realize the dream of building some of the first Co-op housing in Nova Scotia in 30 years.

Earl Mielke with Inclusive Homes Consulting is an independent consultant working with the group to help guide them along the way.

At an expected cost of $6 million Mielke says the development effort will require funding from several sources and the cooperation of different levels of governments and other agencies.

“It will take substantial government funding to make this work. Thankfully for us we also have the Region on board and the Region are being very generous with their contributions as well,” said Mielke. “So, it’s a true partnership, municipal, provincial and federal. That is the only way it can work.”

One of the directors on the cooperative board Lorna MacPherson says Queens MLA Kim Masland and the province have offered tremendous support for their effort and the Region of Queens is all in on trying to get the development off the ground.

In November, Region of Queens Council approved selling four adjoining lots between Lawrence and Amherst streets and Trestle Trail and the Queens Street Extension to the Co-op group for one dollar.

The municipality also just approved $203,000 in the 2023-24 budget for the group to complete predevelopment work on the site. That work will include project management and engineering fees, the cost for architectural drawings and a landscape architect as well as initial site clearing, road access excavation and test pits.

MacPherson says the need for more affordable housing is obvious and everyone involved with the Co-op housing development is driven to make it a reality as soon as possible.

“We’ve been working for probably 10 or 11 months,” said MacPherson. “We had to get incorporated as an organization. People have really rolled up their sleeves, and the success that we’ve had to date is just because we’ve had tremendous cooperation.”

The preliminary design calls for the construction of two buildings.

As a co-op, the units would be owned by members who would be empowered to make decisions about the upkeep or improvements of their units through a democratically elected board of directors.

Traditionally in a private home the owner would build equity which they would receive when they eventually sell the house. In the co-op model, members will not build equity in their unit.

Instead that equity will be used to leverage the construction of more units and to pay off the development over a longer mortgage period, between 40 and 50 years, keeping the units affordable.

As one occupant leaves, the next occupant won’t be faced with a massive increase in housing costs.

MacPherson says the co-op will focus on seniors but aims to be inclusive and diverse.

She expects the group will be breaking ground on the new development in early spring of 2024.

MacPherson says the Co-op group will be bringing the design plans to the South Shore Seniors Expo being held at the Liverpool Best Western from 1:00pm – 3:00pm on Thursday May 25 for anyone wishing to get a sneak peek.

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Queens approves land sale to affordable housing group, earmarks money for track at latest meeting

A long, brick building

Region of Queens Administration Building. Photo Ed Halverson

The sale of municipal properties to create affordable housing highlighted the recent Region of Queens council meeting.

Following a public hearing ahead of the meeting, council agreed to sell four parcels of land off Lawrence and Amherst Streets in Liverpool to the Queens Neighbourhood Cooperative Housing Ltd for one dollar.

Fair market value of the properties is estimated around $15,000 but council is permitted to dispose of properties to non-profit organizations for less if there is a community benefit.

Given the lack of affordable housing across the county, Mayor Darlene Norman says council was unanimous in their support of the sale.

“When they’ll break ground, that is uncertain. They’ll have to determine what exactly they want to build and then make a request to council because there may need to be some water/sewer work done in to site that land,” said Norman. “Council is excited about this.”

Council also voted to support the Queens County Track Society up to a quarter million dollars for the construction of new track facilities on the sports field adjacent to Liverpool Regional High School.

The project is eligible for 25 percent of the cost from the Region’s Community Investment Fund.

The final tally on the build is expected to be north of a million dollars and it’s expected the track will pursue funding from the provincial and federal governments.

Norman says the municipal funds won’t be released from the reserve until the society can show they have raised all the money needed to complete construction.

Council then moved into the discussion phase of the meeting.

After a couple of attempts, the committee working to realize the construction of a new pool in Queens now has terms of reference agreed upon by the majority of councillors.

The latest revision puts the committee members’ skills to work but doesn’t require municipal staff time.

The pool committee will also provide updates on their progress to council at regular intervals.

Several policy items were also up for discussion.

First, they reviewed a new policy to establish parameters around the selection, purchase, maintenance, and official removal of public art.

Second, council confirmed their meeting schedule would remain the same as the past year.

Lastly, an updated social media policy was presented and discussed.

All discussion items will return to council at future meetings to be voted upon before being adopted.

The next Region of Queens Council meeting will be in Chambers December 13 beginning at 9:00am.

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