Dartmouth church wants to sell land to Bryony House for new shelter for women and kids
Zoning approval needed to allow emergency shelter to be built
St. Luke's Anglican Church in Dartmouth, N.S., is seeking rezoning approval to allow Bryony House, the city's shelter for women and children fleeing domestic violence, to build a new facility on some land it owns.
A public meeting is being held tonight to allow members of the public a chance to speak about the project before it goes to a vote at the local community council.
Bryony House wants to build a three-storey 24-bed shelter, complete with possible health and counselling services.
If the zoning is approved, it would move Bryony House closer to its goal of finding a permanent location after a long and troubled journey.
Four years ago, the ill-fated Dare to Dream lottery failed to raise any money for the charity and stalled Bryony's planned expansion. The lottery dispute landed in court.
And two years ago, the aging shelter suffered structural damage after a flood, forcing residents to be moved to other shelters.
The sale of the property is pending rezoning approval, said Rev. Matthew Sponagle, the rector of St. Luke's Anglican Church.
Declining attendance, rising costs
Sponagle said the Halifax Transitional Housing Association approached the church a year ago about whether it was interested in selling some of the property its owns. The land will be sold for market value, he said, although he declined to give the price until a sale is finalized.
He said the deal makes sense for the church which, like many other mainstream denominations, faces declining attendance and decreasing income while maintenance costs rise.
"This allows us to continue doing our ministry in the local community for a longer time," said Sponagle.
The arrangement is also in line with the church's values.
"Part of our mission as a church is to seek to serve and love all of God's people, treating them with dignity and respect and certainly people who are escaping domestic violence would need to be upheld, supported and loved," he said.
In October 2016, federal and provincial government officials announced they would provide millions to help with construction of a new building.
The goal is to have it built in 18 months, according to rezoning documents.