News release

Legislation Responds to Critical Need for Housing

Municipal Affairs and Housing

The Province is taking steps to ensure Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) bylaws will not stand in the way of fast-tracking housing development and increasing supply.

Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister John Lohr introduced amendments to the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter today, October 21, that will give the minister the legislative authority to nullify an HRM bylaw or part of a bylaw to allow and encourage faster housing construction.

“We have an urgent need for more housing in HRM, and if we are going to ensure as many people and families as possible have a place to call home, we need to be looking at how we can speed up housing development,” said Minister Lohr. “While we hope there will not be a situation where we have to use this authority, these amendments will allow the minister to intervene on behalf of Nova Scotians when bylaws are impeding housing development and construction.”

The authority created by the amendments will not apply to long-standing bylaws. A nullification would have to occur within six months of second reading of the bylaw.

Quick Facts:

  • British Columbia, Quebec and New Brunswick have legislation that give the minister or attorney general the power to override a municipal bylaw (often with conditions and often related exclusively to planning matters)
  • the government is on track to assist 20,600 Nova Scotia households this year in obtaining and/or maintaining affordable housing
  • last fall, the government made an investment of almost $35 million to support 1,100 new affordable housing units (including 425 new rent supplements) in communities across the province
  • as of the end of July, it was expected that investment would support 1,203 households

Additional Information:
Bills tabled in the legislature are available at: https://nslegislature.ca/legislative-business/bills-statutes/bills/assembly-64-session-1

News release – Independent Report Makes Recommendations on Reducing Barriers to Housing Development: https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20221019001

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