Amherst, Nova Scotia, took a major step toward adding more affordable places to live when town council voted July 23 to approve a development agreement with the YMCA of Cumberland for a 36-unit housing project downtown. The decision, made at the council meeting that evening, clears the way for the YMCA to move ahead with detailed design work and financing for the project on three vacant lots at the corner of Albion Street and Crescent Avenue.
The project includes two three-and-a-half-storey buildings, one with 24 apartments and a second with 12 apartments plus office space for the YMCA’s Community Development Office. YMCA of Cumberland CEO Trina Clarke has said the development is not an emergency shelter. Of the 36 units, 12 could be set aside as supportive housing if the province provides funding.
Mayor Rob Small said the project means more opportunities for residents to find affordable homes in town. “Council is proud to support projects that strengthen our community by increasing housing options while bringing new investment and vitality to downtown Amherst,” Small stated in a release posted on the town’s website. Amherst received $2.2 million in federal cash through the Housing Accelerator Fund in March 2025 to help speed up home construction. The town has since brought in rules allowing more units on residential lots and scrapped parking requirements for new downtown buildings.
Under the plan, the YMCA will provide only seven parking spaces, a detail that drew concerns from some neighbours when the project was first pitched in June. However, a new municipal planning strategy that kicked in this past March removed parking minimums for downtown developments, saying a surplus already exists. The town’s planning advisory committee, made up of three councillors and three residents, offered no recommendation before council’s vote, even though staff said the project met all planning rules.
The YMCA already runs eight single-room units for women experiencing homelessness and housing for men at monthly rates of $370 to $400. Its latest push at 1 Albion Street will turn empty lots into homes a short walk from shops and services. There is now a 14-day window under Nova Scotia’s Municipal Government Act for any appeals to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board. If no appeal is filed, the next phase of planning and financing can begin.
