Eleanor’s Court brings hope

Two community groups with impressive legacies have joined forces to help the most vulnerable among the unhoused in and around Sydney, Cape Breton.

New Dawn Enterprises, the oldest community development corporation in Canada, and The Ally Centre of Cape Breton — formerly the Cape Breton AIDS Coalition — have a combined 81 years of experience working in and around the island with its at-risk and vulnerable populations.

Together, these organizations are attempting to tackle Cape Breton Regional Municipality’s (CBRM) housing crisis. Just like on the mainland, the number of homeless people has skyrocketed by 125 per cent since 2018.

“COVID just changed everything,” says Christine Porter, executive director of the Ally Centre. “Cape Breton came out of it still in an opioid crisis, and now in a housing crisis.”

In the beginning

To try to manage some of the demand, the Ally Centre purchased a building in downtown Sydney and began to operate an emergency shelter, often for those who cannot go to a homeless shelter.

“We approach everything from a trauma-informed lens,” says Porter.

“We are helping people, through the day, to stay alive. It’s just treating people with kindness, compassion and dignity. This is the population that is the most neglected.”

New Dawn has been involved in its community for decades, running a Meals on Wheels program and a community arts centre, all the while serving as an affordable-housing landlord. “It’s been a while since we built something from scratch,” admits Chloe Donatelli, the supportive housing project manager.

She’s excited about their new joint venture, Eleanor’s Court — a 25-unit high-support housing community nearing completion in downtown Sydney with a target opening date of late April.. New Dawn is the builder of the facility and the Ally Centre will be in charge of the day-to-day operations.

Read the full story on the Nova Scotia Journal of Sustainable Community Development’s website here.