UHP History

UHP was settled in the early 1800’s and has a rich history dating back more than 200 years. Freedom fighters and Black Refugees from the War of 1812 first settled Upper Hammonds Plains in 1815. Over the years, the community faced many hardships involving systemic and overt racism, illnesses (TB), land expropriation, and exclusion from services such as paved roads, clean water, and internet connectivity. Today, the community is facing a significant amount of development that is threatening the preservation of its cultural heritage, displacing African Nova Scotians from their ancestral homesteads, and creating an unaffordable or otherwise unsuitable housing market for community members. 

Born out of the Upper Hammonds Plains Community Development Association’s Strategic Initiatives Committee, the Upper Hammonds Plains Community Land Trust (UHPCLT) is seeking to provide affordable rental and homeownership opportunities, protect land parcels through its holdings, bring land parcels into economic use, reduce Government burden, and develop community design that reflects and illustrates the rich history of Upper Hammonds Plains. UHPCLT is endeavouring to build economic prosperity for the community of Upper Hammonds Plains – now and into the future. 

Addressing Housing Needs of Upper Hammonds Plains:

 
UHPCLT will provide affordable housing opportunities to community members in greatest need. We believe that providing housing capacity in the community to ensure that cost is not a barrier for families to stay in the community by renting or owning a home or for them to return to Upper Hammonds Plains. Currently, UHP does not have public housing or any other form of community housing. Through UHPCLT’s sustainable model of perpetual affordability, the organization creates affordable housing projects that build long-term community housing capacity.  

An important aspect of the UHPCLT’s work will be converting existing dwellings into affordable housing projects. UHPCLT will aim to maximize the environmental and sustainable impacts of its developments by leveraging our partnerships to ensure that we are informed and can incorporate innovative strategies for housing and community sustainability, such as eco-friendly building design methods. We want our projects to serve the greatest range of residents in terms of incomes, ages, and accessibility (multi-generational, universally accessible, and environmentally friendly).  
 
Upper Hammonds Plains does not currently have a balanced supply of housing. Housing supply in the community owned by private developers is very expensive and is inaccessible for many. UHPCLT seeks to provide housing opportunities that fills the gap in the housing continuum. UHPCLT will create the first affordable housing in the community; with a long-term goal of purchasing back some of the multi-unit developments and converting them into affordable housing. UHPCLT will provide affordable homeownership opportunities by building modest housing that is made affordable by taking the value of the land out of the purchase price and by leveraging subsidies provided by the province’s Down Payment Assistance Program. This strategy meets the evolving needs of potential homeowners. 

OUR PARTNERS

We’d like to give a special thanks to all of our partners that make the Upper Hammonds Plains Community Land Trust Possible.