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Nova Scotia spending $12 million on modular homes for health-care, skilled-trade workers amid housing shortage

There will soon be more modular housing for healthcare workers and skilled tradespeople in Nova Scotia in communities where housing options are limited.

The province is spending $12 million to provide more affordable transitional housing to support recruitment and retention of heathcare professionals and skilled workers. This is on top of an $8-million investment announced in January for modular housing for healthcare workers.

“We’re working hard to recruit and retain healthcare workers and other skilled tradespeople. We simply can’t afford to have that work impacted by a lack of available housing,” said Colton LeBlanc, acting Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “This added investment will help to quickly get more housing into communities where supply is limited.”

Areas in need of housing

Through consultations with stakeholders and other government departments, the following areas have been identified as being in acute need of housing for healthcare professionals and skilled workers and have provincially owned land available:

• Cumberland
• Antigonish
• Guysborough
• Inverness
• South Shore
• Colchester.

Provincial land will be identified for the modular housing projects and an expression of interest has been issued as part of the work already underway with the Housing Trust of Nova Scotia, the province said. Pre-qualified suppliers will be invited to submit proposals for the provision of modular housing.

The first units are expected to be delivered this summer.

“Nova Scotia is a wonderful place to work and live. We want to ensure that finding a place to live is not an obstacle for candidates accepting a job offer and moving to a new community,” said Barbara Adams, Minister of Seniors and Long-Term Care. “Having options like modular housing available is an important part of ensuring Nova Scotian employers can hire the staff they need, and we can build the healthcare, continuing care and skilled trade workforces we need as a province.

Attracting employees

In January, Nova Scotia announced 65 continuing care assistants from Kenya received conditional job offers to come to Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia also recently launched a new orientation program that will help welcome and settle 140 doctors trained outside of Canada over the next three years. And a marketing campaign to attract skilled trades workers from other parts of Canada to Nova Scotia was recently completed; phase two is focusing on Alberta and Ontario.