Donald Oliver (Ingrid Bulmer / Staff) | 
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" border="0">Mr. Cross used to live in a bad part of town with drug dealers operating in his building and Dumpsters on the property were regularly lit on fire. But that was seven years ago, before he moved into 75 Primrose St. a Dartmouth apartment building owned by the Metro Non-Profit Housing Association.
"It’s nice and safe. It’s quiet there at night. It’s perfect. We’re all like one big family, especially on the first floor," Mr. Cross said.
The association opened an 18-unit building at 2330 Gottingen St. in 2002.
The new building will be erected just a couple of blocks away on Maynard Street and will have 20 units — all self-contained,
Conservative Senator Donald Oliver announced the federal funding Wednesday at the Metro Non-Profit Housing Support Centre on Gottingen Street.
Land for the building has been purchased and builders are ready to break ground as soon as the city issues the building permits, said Carol Charlebois, executive director of the association.
"Our community is changing and that’s not a bad thing," said social worker and board vice-chairman Paul O’Hara, pointing out the number of condominium developments going up in the area. "We want to make sure that (all) people have a decent place to live."
The new facility will focus on providing stable housing for people with mental health and addiction issues.
"This new facility will give vulnerable individuals an opportunity to build a stronger future for themselves," Mr. Oliver said in a release.
The new units, however, represent less than 10 per cent of the need, Mr. O’Hara said.
"We’re one of many (organizations)
Many of those people need a helping hand to live on their own, and this project supports that, Mr. O’Hara said.
The building will also have a common area to encourage a sense of community among the tenants, Ms. Charlebois said.
A staff member will also have an office in the building and will be on hand during the day, she said.
Ottawa is also providing over $150,000 through its Homelessness Partnering Strategy to establish a program to support people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
Halifax Housing Help will be the name of a new office that will open on Gottingen Street.
The office will provide "out of the box" services to help keep people from having to live in a box, said Cindy MacIsaac, who heads Direction 180, Halifax’s methadone program. Direction 180 is partnering in the project.
Many people with addictions or mental health issues need help with a variety of concerns like managing their money in order to avoid eviction.
Staff at Halifax Housing Help can help with issues like that, she said.
Darcy Harvey, who will be running the office, says the service will offer high levels of help to its clients and develop a model of how community agencies can come together to support individuals and help them maintain stable housing.
