Housing Accelerator Fund

Last updated: 04/26/2024

Status

Based on additional analysis and What We Heard from residents, community groups and interested parties, staff have revised Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) planning documents for approval by Regional Council. 

Process to date

April 17, 2024: Presentation to the Heritage Advisory Committee (HAC) [see the meeting agenda, meeting video and HAC report]

April 23, 2024: First reading at Regional Council [see the meeting agenda, meeting video and minutes]

*Note: during first reading, Council made a series of amendments to the proposed changes recommended by staff. Please see the meeting minutes for the updated amendments.

Anticipated Next Steps

May 2024 (date TBD): Second reading at Regional Council and Public Hearing [link to meeting agenda will be added once available]

• Members of the public will be able to speak to Council about proposed changes at the Public Hearing (learn more about participating in the Public Hearing process)
• Regional Council will deliberate on the changes to decide whether or not to approve the proposed amendments

Key Documents

Listed below are formal documents that detail the proposed changes:

- Staff Report

- Proposed Changes to Planning Documents (see Attachments B-E under 15.1.1 Housing Accelerator Fund)

- April 23, 2024 Regional Council Amendments to Proposed Changes

- What We Heard Report

- Regional Centre Development Requests

- Suburban Development Requests

Further Information & Resources

Use the tabs below to access materials designed to help navigate the proposed changes.

Overview

The municipality is facing significant challenges related to housing affordability and availability. Unprecedented population growth and challenging market conditions has led to a rising demand for housing that the current rate of residential construction cannot meet. As of 2023, the municipality’s housing shortage is estimated at almost 20,000 units – and the shortage is growing.

In collaboration with the federal and provincial governments, as part of the continued effort to support housing supply, the municipality is proposing amendments to planning documents that regulate the type of development in the municipality’s serviced areas (where water and wastewater services exist). The proposed changes to planning documents are intended to:

• Meet the housing objectives of the Halifax Regional Municipality, as well as the federal and provincial governments to increase housing supply and streamline approvals; 
• Respond to the requirements established for the Municipality under the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Housing Accelerator Fund Program;   
• Create more supportive policy and regulatory conditions for building new housing, providing more housing options, and diversifying construction types;  
• Build on the Centre Plan framework to further support gentle density, missing middle housing, more housing on transit, more housing for students and residential conversions; 
• Advance Suburban Opportunity Sites aligned with transit, and other amendments to suburban planning documents that improve regulatory conditions; and
• Make other minor adjustments to regulations to support housing supply.

Proposed Amendments

On September 26, 2023, Regional Council directed the CAO to expedite amendments to planning documents to support key HAF initiatives while considering heritage resources and infrastructure capacity.    

The proposed amendments are guided by policies set out in the Regional Plan and Centre Plan including protecting the environment and heritage resources, enabling more student housing, supporting complete communities and more. Feedback from residents during public consultations also plays a role in informing proposed amendments for the municipality’s plan.  

Staff have reviewed feedback received from residents, industry, and other interested parties and have prepared a revised amendment package for consideration by Regional Council in Spring 2024.  

Staff are proposing several revisions to the proposed amendments with some of the key changes including:  

• Revised zoning and heights in areas near post-secondary institutions in the Regional Centre;    
• Additional lot size and urban design in Regional Centre Established Residential areas;
• One additional proposed Heritage Conservation District (HCD) and expanded boundaries for one existing proposed HCD, for a total of eight proposed new or expanded HCD study areas in the Regional Centre;  
• Addressing over 60 site specific requests in the Regional Centre;  
• Minor changes to the recommended Suburban Opportunity Sites. 

Public Feedback

The official public engagement period for the most recent amendments ended on February 16, 2024, and is detailed in the latest What We Heard report.

To ask a question about the proposed changes, please email haf@halifax.ca and staff will follow up with you.

Residents can provide formal submissions on the proposed changes to Regional Council by emailing clerks@halifax.ca. Comments must include a first initial, last name, and contact information.

Once the public hearing is scheduled, submissions to the Clerk’s Office will only be received up to 3 p.m. on the date of the public hearing. Notice of the public hearing will be issued once a date has been set. 

Common Questions

How do I find out if these changes affect the neighborhood I live in?

If you have access to municipal water and sewer, there is a good chance these proposed changes could impact your property. To find out more, you can search your address in the interactive map here.

Some changes apply across the municipality, including an increase in floor area and height for backyard suites.

For the Suburban Area, the proposed changes include:  

• Allowing 4 units on a lot, subject to existing setbacks and lot control standards (e.g. lot coverage). To find out more, visit the Community Planning Area page.
• Reducing minimum parking requirements for new residential developments
• Recommending opportunity sites for rezonings. Find a complete list of requests and more details here. 

For properties located in Regional Centre, use the interactive map to search your address. The map will show your property’s proposed zone and maximum building height. You can use the corresponding Fact Sheets (see the Information Resources tab above) to find out more about the proposed zoning.  

Still have questions? Contact staff at haf@halifax.ca and someone will be happy to assist you.

Are any of these new developments affordable?

The proposed changes are intended to reduce regulatory barriers to building housing and enabling more density broadly across the municipality. These changes will make all types of housing easier to build.

While affordable housing falls under provincial jurisdiction, the municipality supports it through several initiatives. You can learn more here.  

Why are these changes necessary?

These changes are largely in response to:  

• Declining housing affordability and availability – the vacancy rate for rental housing has been at 1.0% for 3 years in a row, and rental prices increased by over 11% on average last year alone; 
• A growing housing shortage that is estimated at 20,000 units in HRM and growing;
• Challenging market conditions which include high interest rates and labour shortages;
• Rapid population growth – the population is growing at close to 2 – 4.5% annually. HRM’s population increased by more than 20,000 people last year;
• The Housing Accelerator Fund created by the federal government, which aims to add an additional 2,600 housing units to HRM’s housing stock over the next 3 years;
• Provincial legislation designed to increase and streamline housing approvals, including the work of the Executive Panel on Housing.

How will the municipality protect heritage buildings and areas in the Regional Centre?

Maintaining Heritage Properties and Areas is a key objective of the proposed changes. 

To balance the significant upzoning proposed in Established Residential (ER) areas in the Regional Centre, it is recommended that additional incentives are provided to maintain or register new heritage properties.

This includes expanding the heritage development agreement policy to the Downtown Halifax Zone to support additional housing and heritage preservation and broadening the proposed set of Heritage Conservation District study Areas. Visit the interactive map to see the location of proposed HCDs.

The proposed changes seek to expand the area of some Heritage Conservation Districts (HCDs) that are currently being proposed in existing low-rise neighbourhoods in the Regional Centre. These HCDs include:

•    Five Corners, Dartmouth; 
•    Downtown Dartmouth, Dartmouth;
•    Oakland Road, Halifax; and
•    Creighton’s Field, Halifax

The proposed changes also recommend four new HCDs to be added to the list of existing proposed HCDs above. The new HCDs include: 
•    Flower Streets, Dartmouth;
•    Ropeworks, Dartmouth;
•    Young-Woodill Divisions, Halifax; and
•    Jubilee Road, Halifax. 

The properties within the ER Designation within these HCD study areas are recommended to be re-zoned ER-2, which will balance the broader application and increased permissions in the proposed ER-3 zone. 

What are some examples of changes being made based on resident feedback or staff analysis?

Staff received significant feedback on the proposed amendments, both positive and negative. Nearly half of all public feedback received was specific to an area of local concern – a specific zoning change proposed in a certain neighbourhood. Read the What We Heard Report for more details on the public feedback process.

In response to these concerns, staff reviewed the zoning in these areas and are suggesting some modifications while still ensuring that key housing goals are met. These key changes include:

• Revised zoning and heights in areas near post-secondary institutions (Peninsula South and Peninsula North), and along Victoria Road;
• Additional lot size and urban design requirements for Established Residential areas;
• One additional proposed Heritage Conservation District (HCD) and expanded boundaries for one existing proposed HCD, for a total of eight proposed new or expanded HCD study areas in the Regional Centre;  
• Addressing additional site-specific requests in the Regional Centre; and
• Minor changes to Suburban Opportunity Sites.

How is the municipality planning for infrastructure (e.g. roads, sewers, parks, schools) to support the population growth? 

Planning and Development staff continuously share information and work with service providers, including Public Works, Halifax Transit, Halifax Water, Parks and Recreation, Halifax Regional Centre for Education, and emergency service providers. This allows us to assist in coordinating infrastructure planning in response to unprecedented population growth in the municipality.

For example, Halifax Water is in the process of updating planning documents to identify upgrades and funding required to their network to support this anticipated population, and Halifax Transit has a Rapid Transit Strategy  to support future growth.

Addressing constraints in local water, wastewater, stormwater and transportation infrastructure are the responsibility of the developer. The municipality and Halifax Water will continue to address regional infrastructure and service needs in both the short and long-term. 

When will these changes come into effect?

Introduction and first reading occurred at Regional Council on April 23, 2024. After making a series of amendments to the proposed changes, Regional Council has decided to proceed with the public hearing, anticipated in May 2024.

If Regional Council approves the amendments following the public hearing, Ministerial approval is required prior to coming into force.

This website will be updated as the timeline for these amendments evolves.

What is the HAF?

The Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) is a federal program that is administered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). The HAF will provide up to $4 billion in funding directly to local authorities to incentivize and support initiatives that accelerate the supply of housing.

In order to receive funding, the municipality must meet the conditions of the HAF agreement, including Regional Council’s approval of additional zoning changes to create at least 2,600 additional units. The HRM must implement the initiatives identified in the Action Plan within two years of the start of the HAF program.

One of the initiatives is focused on regulatory changes for housing. Many of the adjustments to planning documents being proposed are in response to these requirements.  

 How can I learn more information and provide feedback?

This website contains all the information related to the changes to planning documents in support of the HAF. If you have any other questions, you can reach out to staff by email at haf@halifax.ca.  

If you would like to send feedback for Regional Council’s consideration, you can do so by emailing the Clerks Office at clerks@halifax.ca. It is important to note submissions to the Clerk’s Office will only be received up to 3 p.m. on the date of the public hearing. Comments must include a first initial, last name, and contact information. 

Interactive Map

This interactive map shows how the proposed HAF amendments would impact land use policies and zoning (current and proposed) in the Regional Centre and Suburban Area. 

*Note: This map has been prepared for public information purposes only; it does not include a comprehensive regulatory language and is subject to change.  

How to use this map:

Pan around the map to explore the different layers. To see more, click on the map to view pop-up information about the property.  

In the top right corner of the map you will see the following icons:   

Use the Basemap icon to change the basemap  

Use the Filter icon to select specific proposed zoning options  

Use the Layers icon to turn on and off the layers of the map  

Use the Legend icon to get a description of what is being shown on the map 

Please refer to the fact sheets (see the Supporting Resources tab above) or full package of amendments and the staff report for further details on the proposed changes.