Antigonish Affordable Housing

We sat down with Colleen Cameron, chair of the Antigonish Affordable Housing Society to ask her what’s up with those new affordable housing units on Appleseed Drive. And what is affordable housing exactly? How does it work and who is allowed to rent the units? Colleen gives us all the answers, and valuable insight into the housing crisis.


Link to learn more or donate to the society:


https://www.antigonishaffordablehousi...


Summary of the main points from the interview (auto-generated):


New Development Details


17 new units opening August 1st (with 4 units delayed until August 15th)


Located across from elementary and junior schools


Connected to existing Appleseed Court Phase One (12 units)


120 applications received for just 17 units, showing massive demand


This brings their total to 45 units over 10 years


What is Affordable Housing?


Two definitions of "affordable":


Personal affordability: Housing costs should not exceed 30% of total household income


Unit classification: Rent must be below 80% of median market rent in the area


Funding structure:


Federal funding through CMHC (Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation)


Not grants but 40-50 year mortgages at low interest rates


Units must generate income to pay back the mortgage


Income Caps and Rent Structure


Maximum household incomes to qualify:


One bedroom: $62,500


Two bedroom: $73,500


Three bedroom: $84,000


Rent ranges:


Two-bedroom units: $838-920 (all-inclusive: utilities, snow removal, maintenance)


Significantly below market rates (market rate example given was $1,550 for a two-bedroom house)


Financial Challenges


"It doesn't work" financially:


Rental income doesn't cover all operational costs (mortgage, maintenance, taxes, utilities)


Organization relies heavily on fundraising and donations to bridge gaps


Community navigator position (75% navigator, 25% property manager) must be funded through donations


Chair Colleen Cameron spends approximately 30 hours per week volunteering


Government has refused requests for funding executive director or staff positions


Tenant Demographics


Diverse resident population:


Ages range from 6 months to 90 years old


Single mothers, two-parent families, young unattached males, seniors


People with physical and mental disabilities


Mix of working professionals and those receiving rent subsidies


Many tenants still pay more than 30% of income on housing despite "affordable" rates


Housing Continuum Context


Affordable housing sits between public/social housing and market-rate housing on the housing continuum: Homeless → Transition housing → Shelters → Public housing → Affordable housing → Market rent


Future Plans


Sugarloaf Development:


Planning 50-55 new units on donated Dr. Hendricks property


Will include 1-4 bedroom units


Economy of scale expected to improve financial sustainability


Considering mixed-income model with some market-rate units to cross-subsidize affordable ones


Government and Community Support


Municipal relationships:


Strong support from both town and county councils


Financial contributions for each of their four builds


Council members have served on the organization's board


Systemic issues identified:


Federal government stopped investing in public housing 30 years ago


Current system pushes responsibility from federal → provincial → municipal → volunteers


Process for developers to access affordable housing funding is overly complicated


Public Misconceptions


Affordable housing often confused with public housing


Residents include working professionals, not just lowest-income individuals


Mixed-income community is intentional and beneficial


Broader Housing Crisis Context


25% of Antigonish residents are over 65, many seeking smaller accommodations closer to town


Food insecurity has grown significantly alongside housing affordability issues


Low turnover in affordable units due to dramatic rent differences with market housing


Current model may inadvertently discourage income growth to maintain housing eligibility


Get full access to Let's Talk Antigonish at letstalkantigonish.substack.com/subscribe (https://letstalkantigonish.substack.c...)