A supportive housing village in Dartmouth, N.S., has added 57 homes aimed at helping women, children, and gender-diverse people at risk of homelessness. Forty of the units coming to the Mount Hope Village include affordable housing, with rents ranging from $1,075 a month for a two-bedroom home to $1,250 and $1,445 per month for three-bedrooms. “The number of people experiencing homelessness in HRM has more than doubled since 2022,” reads a report from the According to the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia (AHANS) in June. According to the association, 2,137 individuals and families were experiencing homelessness as of Aug. 27. The sum comes from numbers reported in shelters and street counts of unsheltered individuals. The total amount is also accepted as likely being higher than what is reported, as many individuals experience “hidden homelessness” via couch surfing or staying in cars. “A central driver of this trend is an acute housing affordability crisis. Rents have escalated while vacancy rates remain extremely low, leaving many unable to secure or retain housing,” the report reads. As of July, Rentals.ca says average rent prices for a one-bedroom in the Halifax-area is $2,071. “The shortage of (deeply) affordable units has pushed even working individuals and families, as well as those on fixed incomes, into precarious living arrangements or outright homelessness,” says AHANS. In addition to climbing rent costs, the Halifax Regional Municipality’s 2026 Affordable Housing Strategy points to domestic violence as a source of homelessness. “The lack of affordable and available housing units means that those leaving domestic violence shelters have few prospects for housing upon leaving. This forces many people to decide between returning home to their abusers or homelessness,” the strategy reads. The Mount Hope Village is a project run by YWCA Halifax, a group that emphasizes the role of supportive housing for women and gender-diverse people to achieve economic security and escape violence. The village now has a total of 123 homes. YWCA Halifax CEO Miia Suokonautio says the 57 new homes mark the completion of Phase 3 of the project, and will provide housing for 200 people. “Phase 3 of Mount Hope Village will offer Nova Scotians something powerful: the security and stability of a place to call home. Investment in non-profit housing is essential to addressing the housing crisis facing renters,” she says in a news release from the province. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC) provided $17 million for Phase 3, while $5.28 million came from the province of Nova Scotia through the Affordable Housing Development Program. The HRM also contributed $1.4 million to the project, so the YWCA Halifax could buy the homes. Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore says he’s proud to support the project. “City hall needs to create the conditions for more projects like this to move forward faster, at lower cost, and with fewer barriers,” Fillmore says in the release. The YWCA says the modular townhomes were manufactured in New Brunswick and installed by Nova Scotian companies. Leases for the homes must be held by a woman or gender-diverse person, while other household members can be listed as occupants. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
