CBRM News
Two Housing Infrastructure Projects to Create Nearly 300 Residential Units in CBRM
July 3, 2024
The Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) has allocated $6.6 million to support housing infrastructure projects within the municipality.
“Accessing funding through the Housing Accelerator Fund allows the Cape Breton Regional Municipality to make investments in the infrastructure required for local developers to build much needed residential units,” says Mayor Amanda McDougall-Merrill. “Our partnership with the Federal Government of Canada will result in a significant increase of safe, sustainable housing options in the CBRM, and for many people an opportunity to finally find a place to call home.”
CBRM received $11 million from the Federal Government through Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) Housing Accelerator Fund, which aims to help remove barriers to build more residential units, faster.
CBRM received applications for funding from developers to contribute to the expansion of residential housing within the municipality. The approved projects and their respective allocations are as follows:
Urban Neighbourhood Development Association on behalf of Cape Breton University (CBU): Awarded $5.4 million to construct 145 new residential units at the former Tartan Downs racetrack in Sydney. Seventy of the residential units will be affordable units.
- Construction of 67 townhouses and two 39-unit buildings
- New public streets of approximately 720 metres
- All new public water, sewer, and storm infrastructure
- Installation of a stormwater retention pond
Joneljim Concrete Construction Ltd.: Awarded $1.2 million for the development of 144 new residential units off of Cossitt Heights Drive in Sydney.
- Construction of twelve 12-unit buildings
- New public streets of approximately 470 metres
- Utilizing existing municipal water and sewer infrastructure for a portion of the development
- All new storm water infrastructure
Affordable units are defined as units that must not exceed 30 per cent of the gross annual household income, or is at 80 per cent or less than the average market rate as defined by the CMHC for the CBRM.
Additional Resources:
-- Housing Strategy survey, deadline for completion is July 12: https://form.jotform.com/FBM_Planning/cbrm-housing-strategy-survey1
-- Information about the Affordable Housing Grant Policy and the Affordable Housing Property Tax Adjustment including full eligibility criteria, applications and more, visit: https://www.cbrm.ns.ca/cbrmdevsupportprogram.html
-- Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) 2023 Rental Market Survey: https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/professionals/housing-markets-data-and-research/housing-data/data-tables/rental-market/rental-market-report-data-tables