A Public Hearing for the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) - Urgent Changes to Planning Documents for Housing & Suburban Housing Accelerator SMPS & LUB (MINORREV-2023-01065) will be held at Regional Council, starting on May 21, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. and will continue on additional dates as necessary.
The HAF Public Hearing start time, registration process, and written comments deadline have been customized due to the expected high number of speakers. Are you looking for information about a different Public Hearing?
Public Hearings are open for anyone to speak at or to submit written comments to.
When will the public hearing be held?
The Public Hearing is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday May 21, 2024.
If there is not enough time to hear all the speakers on May 21, the Public Hearing will continue for pre-registered speakers only at 1:00 p.m. on May 22, 23, and 24 if necessary.
Where will the public hearing be held?
The Public Hearing will be held in-person at Halifax City Hall, 1841 Argyle Street, Halifax, in the Council Chamber. Learn about attending in-person meetings in City Hall.
How do I sign up to speak at the public hearing?
Registration is open until the end of the Regional Council meeting on Tuesday May 21, 2024.
Due to the expected high volume of speakers, we encourage all speakers to register in advance as early as possible.
When registering you can only add your own name to the list and not the name of another person.
While the meeting will be held in person, Zoom is available as an option for speakers. If you wish to use Zoom, make sure you include this information when you register. To use Zoom the deadline to register is 4:30 p.m. on Friday May 17, 2024.
There are two ways to register:
- 1. Contact the Clerks Office by email, phone, or fax:
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- Send an email to clerks@halifax.ca. If you’re signing up via email and you don’t receive a response from us within 1 business day, please phone our office at 902-490-4210 to confirm receipt. Please ensure you check your email’s junk/spam folder regularly.
OR
- Call 902.490.4210 (Mon-Fri, 8:30am-4:30pm)
OR
- Send a fax to the Clerk's Office at 902.490.4208 and include a call back phone number or email.
Please include:
-your first and last name
-your community of residence OR business/organization that you are representing
-that you wish to speak at the Public Hearing for the Housing Accelerator Fund. - 2. Sign up in-person on May 21, 2024:
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On May 21, 2024, Municipal Clerks Office staff will be available to assist with registration until the end of the meeting. Due to the expected high volume of speakers, anyone registering in person on May 21 may not have an opportunity to speak on the first day.
What happens if I sign-up in advance but miss my turn to speak?
If your name is called during the hearing and you aren’t present to speak, you will be given a second opportunity after all other names on the list have been called. Once the Public Hearing has been closed, there will be no further opportunities to speak.
How do I submit written comments?
You may submit written comments to the Municipal Clerk's Office. Your comments must be received by 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. Comments received after this time will not be distributed.
Your comments must include at least your first initial, last name and a contact method (e.g. email address). Anonymous submissions will not be distributed.
Email (clerks@halifax.ca) is the preferred method, but submissions can also be sent via mail (please allow sufficient time for delivery) and fax.
Mailing Address:
Municipal Clerk’s Office
Halifax Regional Municipality
PO Box 1749
Halifax, NS
B3J 3A5
Fax:
902.490.4208 (please include a call back phone number or email)
What will happen to my written comments?
Your written comments will be distributed to members of Regional Council and relevant staff. They will be kept on file as part of the official public record.
As part of the public record, your comments will be distributed to other members of the public on request. Your signature and contact information will be removed before your comments are distributed to the public; however, your full submission may be viewed by request in the Municipal Clerk's Office.
What will happen during the public hearing?
- Staff will begin the hearing by giving a presentation outlining the topic of the hearing, the process that has been undertaken to this point in the process, and an assessment against all relevant Municipal policies or by-laws.
- Staff will answer any questions members of Council may have based on the presentation they just received.
- The public hearing will be open.
- Public Hearing speakers will then be called in the order they signed up. Speakers will have 5 minutes each to state their opinions on the proposed change which is the subject of the hearing.
- The public hearing will close.
- Staff may be asked questions of clarification as a result of the hearing from members of Council.
- Council will deliberate. They may make their decision at that time, or they may defer it to a future date. They will not hear any further speakers or accept any further written comments on the topic.
How can I learn more about the Housing Accelerator Fund?
Information about the Housing Accelerator Fund can be found here:
- Housing Accelerator Information Page
- May 21, 2024 Regional Council Agenda
More Questions?
If you have more questions about the Housing Accelerator Fund Public Hearing, contact the Municipal Clerk's Office.