At a council meeting on Monday night, Saint Andrews Town Council gave local developer the green light to proceed with the construction of an affordable 42-unit housing project on Mowat Drive at the former location of the Blue Moon Motel.The building, which will be called The Compass, will include 36 two-bedroom units and 6 one-bedroom units ranging in price from $800 to $1200 per month.

The town will also provide a $500,000 development grant to ensure these rental rates are locked in place for the next 15 years. "For people who are struggling in our community, there is reason to be excited now," said Mayor Brad Henderson. "Whether you are a senior who is having trouble trying to secure a rental here, whether you are a seasonal worker on a limited budget, or whether you are a single parent who is finding it hard to stay in town to keep your kids in school at Vincent Massey Elementary School, there is reason to be optimistic that things are changing in our town."

Housing has a track record of successful local housing units, including the 37-unit Anchors Landing building in Saint Andrews and the Beacon, a 50-unit St. Stephen building. If all goes according to plan, shovels will be in the ground in 2023 potentially as early spring. Plans for Compass Housing comes at a time when the housing crisis has become even more critical in St. Andrews. A recent survey by the Southwest Service Commission found that there is only currently a 4% vacancy rate in Saint Andrews. While a healthy vacancy rate is usually between 3% and 5%, in Saint Andrews a 4% vacancy rate only equates to two units being available at any given time.