“I finally have my own apartment. This is the stability I was looking for.”

For Lisa Dowling, moving into Eleanor’s Court has meant more than just a roof over her head.

“There has to be a word better than ‘love’ to describe it, because it’s great,” said Dowling. “I finally have my own apartment. This is the stability I was looking for.”

Dowling is one of 25 tenants now living in the affordable and supportive housing development in Sydney, N.S. Tenants could be people who are homeless or have precarious housing.

Eleanor’s Court is a collaboration between New Dawn Enterprises, which owns the building, and the Ally Centre of Cape Breton, which provides the staff.

It offers 24/7 on-site security and staff to support the residents.

Dowling said she lost her housing after being hospitalized for three months following several surgeries. She had also broken up with her boyfriend and discovered he had made her apartment uninhabitable while she was away.

On top of that, she was still struggling with the death of her 18-year-old daughter. Then Dowling found herself homeless.

“I was bounced around from house to house and was pushing a cart around town every day wondering where to sleep,” she said.

Then, she got a spot at the Pine Tree Park Pallet Village. The village consists of 35 temporary shelters that provide privacy and safety for vulnerable people. That is also run by the Ally Centre and New Dawn.

Twenty-four out of the twenty-five residents at Eleanor’s Court have also lived in the pallet shelters, freeing up more space for people who are homeless.

Dowling spent six months at the village before moving to Eleanor’s Court. She said she enjoyed her time there but being so far out of town made life difficult. Now she’s downtown, where she can walk to the pharmacy, go to a local café, or take her new kitten, Ebony, for walks.

“It’s just it’s perfect … There’s nothing I can say bad about it and all.”

There was some opposition to the apartment complex when construction was announced in 2023. Residents in the area were concerned with the appearance of the complex as well and its proximity to other residences.

Bryanna MacLean, a peer support worker at Eleanor’s Court, said there are misconceptions about the people living in the complex, adding many assume the residents are criminals or troublemakers.

“Everyone here is just another person who has their own struggles and are trying to get through the day like everyone else,” said MacLean.

So far, she said everything is going smoothly since opening a few weeks ago.

“I think a lot of people are adjusting nicely. I mean, it’s just awesome that everybody has their own place and can kind of have refuge.”

The apartments are rented to residents based on income. They are allowed to stay as long as they like, but MacLean said if someone eventually wants a larger space, staff will do their best to help them find housing elsewhere.

But for now, Dowling is grateful to be where she is.

“We were all given a Golden Willy Wonka ticket,” she said.

CBC News Nova Scotia, June 20, 2025

Listen to Lisa Dowling’s full Information Morning Cape Breton interview with CBC Radio’s Brittany Wentzell here.