A non-profit group is 100,000 steps closer to reaching its goal of providing housing for seniors and families in need of affordable housing, thanks to a generous contribution from the Municipality of the District of Chester. The New Ross Community Care Centre (NRCCC) Society will use the $100,000 contribution to purchase land for the project.
Warden Allen Webber says that the Municipality of Chester has made it a priority to engage with partners in the development of vibrant and sustainable communities. “Council is supportive of the New Ross Community Care Centre’s goal of creating an age-friendly community,” says Warden Webber. “We’re confident that the $100,000 grant provided by the Municipality will help kick start the development of sustainable and affordable community housing options for the area.”
“We are excited to see this project advance in a substantial way,” says Valerie White, president of the NRCCC. “The contribution by the Municipality not only provides funding for the land, but speaks loudly to their support of the project and to their citizens – from young families to senior citizens – who need and deserve a safe, welcoming place to live.”
The land was purchased from Christ Anglican Church, New Ross. “Christ Church has also shown their support of the project by donating a portion of the purchase price,” says White.
Christ Church Warden Rustin Broome sees the development as a step forward for the community. “With all the emphasis on, and the need for affordable and seniors housing now and in the foreseeable future in NS communities and beyond, this project will fill a need for those who are seeking housing,” says Broome.
The site for the NRCCC project is on Rosebank Road, near the community school, resource centre, and just a short drive or walk to the heart of the community, where banking, groceries and other services are available. The site is also connected to these services through developed, well-groomed trails. The NRCCC has spent over $40,000 to date developing the project, including a housing market study, environmental assessment and land surveys, architectural plans, brand development and communications planning, civil engineering, and site planning/service design.
According to White, they hope to begin construction this fall and are in the process of finding suitable developers to undertake the project.
Currently, they plan to build 16 units that will be a mixture of one and two-bedroom layouts. They hope to offer the one-bedrooms for around $800-$1100 monthly when complete, as a recent survey conducted by the NRCCC indicated that is considered affordable in the area.
