Thirty-eight people who’ve been living without a home now have a place to call their own, thanks to a new supportive housing facility that opened Thursday, Oct. 9, on Brunswick Street.
Ozanam Place isn’t a shelter—it’s permanent housing designed for people aged 50 and older who have been experiencing homelessness. Each of the 38 studio apartments comes with its own bathroom and kitchenette, and rent is set at just 30 per cent of whatever income a resident has.
For many of the people moving in, it’s the first stable home they’ve had in years.
The building is owned by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul of Halifax and will be run day-to-day by the North End Community Health Centre, which means residents will have healthcare support right on site.
Helping the most vulnerable first
The new residents aren’t being chosen randomly. They’re coming from what’s called the “By Name List”—a prioritized roster maintained by the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia that identifies the people most in need of housing support.
The focus on people 50 and older makes sense when you consider that older adults experiencing homelessness often face serious health issues and have a much harder time finding stable housing on their own.
“Creating deeply affordable housing is a necessary pillar of navigating Canada’s housing crisis,” said Shannon Miedema, Member of Parliament for Halifax. “Projects like Ozanam Place help to eliminate barriers to housing while supporting all members of our community.”
A long time coming
The project took major investment to pull off—more than $14 million from federal and provincial governments combined. That includes $11.02 million through Ottawa’s Rapid Housing Initiative and $3.6 million from the province’s Affordable Housing Development Program. Infrastructure Canada kicked in another $435,000.
The provincial Department of Community Services is also providing ongoing operational funding to keep the place running long-term.
For the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, which has been helping people in Halifax for more than a century through food banks, emergency assistance, and home visits, Ozanam Place represents something bigger. The facility is named after its founder, Frederic Ozanam, and marks a significant expansion of its mission to support the city’s most marginalized residents.
“With the opening of Ozanam Place, 38 of Nova Scotia’s most vulnerable people will have safe, supportive housing that they can afford thanks to the strong partnership between the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul and government,” said Colton LeBlanc, Minister of Growth and Development.
Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony drew ministers, community leaders, and Archbishop Brian Dunn of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth. But the real celebration belongs to the 38 people who finally have keys to their own front doors.
More information is available at ssvphalifax.ca/supportive-housing.