Food bank in North Sydney converting part of former school into housing for seniors

An organization in North Sydney, N.S., that works to feed people in need is now also working to house seniors in the community.

The North Sydney Food Bank purchased the former Seton Elementary School in 2020, and has since moved into part of the building.

Next month, work will start to convert a wing of former classrooms into 19 housing units for seniors.

"We have a lot of older clients that are seniors that were constantly telling us about the need for housing," said Stacy Ellis, the food bank's general manager.

The majority of the project's $4-million cost is being paid for through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

The plan is to build two two-bedroom units, 16 one-bedroom units, and one bachelor unit for a full-time maintenance worker.

Rent for the units will range from around $800 to $900 per month, Ellis said.

Interest in the community is running high.

"Everybody's very excited about the project," she said. "We've had lots of phone calls. We've had many, many drive-bys."

Coun. Earlene MacMullin said she started getting calls from people wanting to get on a waitlist as word of the project spread in the community.

"The cry for seniors' housing is continuous," said MacMullin. 

"I'm talking numerous calls a week from seniors that are staying with family because they currently don't have a place to go, to seniors that are trying to move from a larger place to find an apartment or something like that."

MacMullin also said she's hearing from seniors "that are in housing that is just in really, really bad shape and are really trying to get somewhere else."

The food bank will start accepting applications for the new units in July.

The goal is to have people living in them by late December.