HALIFAX/FALL RIVER: The Minister for Advanced Education said with more student housing options available to them, community college students will be able to study and build a life in communities across the province.
Brian Wong, who is also the MLA for Waverley-Fall River-Beaver Bank, was thrilled that the province could announce they would be building new student housing at four locations.
That new student housing will be at NSCC campuses and provide students with more affordable options and ease pressure on the local housing supply.
Approximately 270 more beds in total will be built at the NSCC Cumberland campus in Springhill, Kingstec campus in Kentville, Lunenburg campus in Bridgewater and the Institute of Technology in Halifax.
ADVERTISEMENT:
Combined with three other projects under construction now, these projects bring the total number of new NSCC student housing spaces announced since 2021 to 620.
“Taking action to deliver more housing options will help students study in their community of choice,” said Wong in an interview.
“We’re happy to be able to partner with NSCC to create hundreds more spaces for students on campus and open up more housing options in these communities.
Don Bureaux, President, Nova Scotia Community College, said they’re grateful for the province’s substantial investment.
“The creation of four new NSCC student housing facilities – on top of the three units already under construction – will mean increased accessibility for applicants to the college and, in turn, help alleviate pressure on the community housing inventory in Springhill, Kentville, Bridgewater and Halifax,” said Bureaux.
Erik Larsen, who is President of the Institute of Technology Capus Student Association, said housing is an especially serious issue for students nowadays.
“I’m happy happy to see new student housing facilities coming to four NSCC campuses that will support the great need and alleviate the stress for future students who require affordable housing options to support them as they pursue their education,’ he said.
ADVERTISEMENT:
The new facilities will be built on government-owned land at or near existing facilities at each campus. More information about each project, including cost and design, will be announced in the coming months as details are finalized.
The Cumberland and Lunenburg campuses are expected to have about 40 beds each, Kingstec will have about 90 beds and the Institute of Technology will have about 100 beds.
Building more on-campus housing is one of the actions identified in Our Homes, Action for Housing.
ADVERTISEMENT:
The plan invests more than $1 billion to work with partners and municipalities to create the conditions for more than 40,000 new housing units from one end of the province to the other.
Quick Facts: (from a news release)
— there are about 2,250 students currently enrolled at these four campuses
— construction is underway on student housing projects at NSCC’s Akerley and Ivany campuses in Dartmouth and the Pictou campus in Stellarton, which will include a total of 350 new spaces
— the new housing at the Akerley and Pictou campuses is expected to open in September 2024; Ivany’s is expected to open in September 2025
— in October, the Province announced a plan to accelerate growth in the skilled trades, adding up to 5,000 more new apprentices in the next three years and increasing the number of journeypersons and trades qualifiers by 1,000 a year
