Halifax’s Atlantic School of Theology to benefit from post-secondary housing investment

Halifax's Atlantic School of Theology (AST) is one of two post-secondary schools that will benefit from an $8 million provincial investment aimed at helping increase student housing options.

The south end university will be getting $3 million to preserve and maintain student accommodations, including repairs to the brickwork, new plumbing, Wi-Fi system updates and upgrades to the shared kitchen and bathroom facilities.

The province says the number of beds will also increase to 97 from 65.

The AST's campus housing is used by students from Dalhousie, NSCAD, Saint Mary's University, University of King's College and NSCC.

“Updating student housing at AST will allow AST to continue to offer student housing to local university students,” said the school's interim president Tim O'Neill in a news release.

“This funding means that we will be able to address the needs of more students by providing additional affordable housing in HRM.”

The remaining $5 million will go to the Tartan Downs housing project in Sydney, a partnership between Cape Breton University and the Urban Neighborhood Development Association.

The mixed-use development is expected to have about 430 residential units, with about half intended to be affordable. It will also include accessible units.

“We have an urgent need for more housing options for students around the province, and we continue to listen to our post-secondary partners and take action,” said Brian Wong, Minister of Advanced Education.