A $566,644 federal investment announced August 27, 2026 will extend water, sewer, stormwater, road, and sidewalk infrastructure needed to unlock up to 150 new affordable housing units near St. Martha’s Regional Hospital in Antigonish County.
Parliamentary Secretary Jaime Battiste and Warden Nicholas MacInnis announced the funding through the Build Communities Strong Fund’s Direct Delivery stream at Beech Hill. The project, led by the Antigonish Affordable Housing Society, involves constructing a new road and sidewalk plus extending municipal services to the Sugarloaf development on donated land along Route 337.
Among the planned units are four for individuals with intellectual disabilities through the Community Living Association Cape Breton and 10 supportive housing units for women fleeing violence through The Naomi Society.
Antigonish County and the Province of Nova Scotia previously committed $127,540 each for sewer extensions to the Sugarloaf property. The development sits on 42 acres donated in October 2024 by Dr. Amy Hendricks and Paul Davie near St. Martha’s Regional Hospital.
The society currently operates 45 affordable apartments in the Town and County of Antigonish and aims to triple that by 2029. A 2023 municipal housing report found that nearly half of all renters in Antigonish earn less than what is needed to afford the average rental unit, underscoring the need for new affordable housing.
