Land trust in N.S. secures $61.2M to build housing for Black Canadians

Nova Scotia·NewThe federal government announced $61.2 million for the Upper Hammonds Plains Community Land Trust on Saturday. The funding will be used to build 136 co-op housing units in the historic African Nova Scotian community. Project will be developed in Upper Hammonds Plains and is expected to be completed in 2027Molly MacNaughton · CBC News · Posted: Aug 30, 2025 5:06 PM EDT | Last Updated: 23 minutes agoThe federal government announced $61.2 million for the Upper Hammonds Plains Community Land Trust on Saturday. (Molly MacNaughton/CBC)The federal government announced $61.2 million for the Upper Hammonds Plains Community Land Trust on Saturday.The funding will be used to build 136 co-op housing units in the historic African Nova Scotian community. All the units will be built at 195 Equestrian Lane with the first block of housing due to open next fall, said Curtis Whiley, the land trust’s president and founder.”Our community has faced generations of dispossession and systemic barriers that prevent us from being able to create opportunities like this one,” said Whiley. “It is profound that we were able to generate this project through a volunteer-led board.”It’s the largest federal investment in new co-op housing in 30 years, said Sackville-Bedford-Preston MP Braedon Clark.”The project will provide much-needed affordable housing while also preserving the rich culture and heritage of African Nova Scotian in Upper Hammonds Plains and across this province and this country,” said Clark.A community land trust is a non-profit organization that owns land for the benefit of a community. The Upper Hammonds Plains Community Land Trust was established in 2022 to provide affordable housing and to preserve the cultural heritage of African Nova Scotians through community-based land ownership. There will be 29 accessible units included in the project, which is expected to be completed in 2027.”We are just so excited for other communities to see that this is possible,” said Whiley.MORE TOP STORIES ABOUT THE AUTHORMolly MacNaughton is a news reporter and associate producer. She’s currently taking her Master of Journalism at the University of King’s College. For story ideas contact her at molly.macnaughton@cbc.ca