Construction of Pallet shelters for seniors underway in Dartmouth

Construction on a Pallet shelter "village" for homeless and at-risk seniors is underway in Dartmouth, N.S., the province says.

It will be located at 35 Atlantic St. and will include 41 units.

Community Services Minister Brendan Maguire said he hopes the facility will be fully open before winter "so that people will have those roofs over their heads.

"My goal is to have all of this done by no later than October," he told CBC News. "Some of these pallet homes are ahead of schedule and some of them will be opened up with the next month or so."

In a news release on Tuesday, the province said the not-for-profit organization Quest will provide support.

"Residents will have on-site wraparound services, including meals, transportation, washrooms and laundry facilities to help them transition to a more permanent housing option," the release stated.

Sheila Ede lives near the site and said she thinks "it's fabulous. It'll help a lot of people out."

'Culturally responsive' housing option in Westphal

In addition to the Pallet village, the province announced a "supportive housing option" for Black and African Nova Scotians is now open in Westphal.

The space, now called the Akwaaba Reverend Wallace Smith Sr. Campus, is located in the former City Heights Church building on Main Street.

The news release said the campus "provides culturally responsive programming and supports to prepare residents for permanent housing." Its service provider will be 902ManUp.

The province is providing $2.3 million in annual funding to cover operating costs for staff, wraparound services, support programing and the building lease.

902ManUp also received around $350,000 for one-time setup costs. While the shelters are temporary, Maguire said they will make a big difference for people in need of housing.

"I think these spaces will have a massive impact on people living there and getting people off the list. But you know, we've seen in Lower Sackville, for example, it's been extremely successful," Maguire said.

"We're seeing people go back to work and we're seeing people start to transition to the next stage of life. So for the individuals living in there, it's going to make a big difference, but we know there's a lot more work to do."

Maguire acknowledged that both the campus and Pallet village are more than a 30-minute walk to the nearest grocery store.

"We wish that we could put it in the centre of everything. But you know, we need to work within municipalities and we need to work with our stakeholders and our service providers," he said. "At the very least, it should be and always will be on a bus route."