What it means for heritage properties
New development rules will send waves of housing changes throughout the Halifax area. Heritage properties and districts are not immune.
At HRM’S heritage committee meeting Wednesday, staff went through the proposed changes to planning strategies and land-use bylaws associated with the $79 million in federal housing accelerator funding.
The goal is to light a fire under housing construction in the region within the next three years.
TARGET OF 15,000 UNITS
Last fall, HRM signed a deal with the feds. The municipality would receive $79 million from the Housing Accelerator Fund if it commits to several initiatives that would streamline housing construction.
In a budget meeting in February, staff said HRM has a target of issuing permits for 15,000 units in three years to meet the requirements of the agreement. Two per cent of those units must be affordable, defined by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. as costing less than 30 per cent of a household’s before-tax income.
The funding is scheduled be handed out in equal payments over the four-year term, and the first payment of over $18 million has already been received. This will go to hire staff to carry out the work.
URGENT CHANGES
These initiatives focus on zoning changes, streamlining approvals, boosting all kinds of density, building near transit in suburban areas, student housing and more flexibility for backyard suites.
HRM staff sent out the Urgent Changes to Planning Documents to the public and industry professionals. They said “extensive public feedback” was received — both positive and negative.
About half the comments were around specific neighbourhood changes but generally there were concerns about community character and lack of infrastructure, but many residents were supportive of more housing, specifically transit-oriented housing, and increasing gentle density (additional density that has a minimal impact on a neighborhood) and missing middle housing (townhomes, two and three-unit dwellings, cluster housing and smallscale multi-unit housing).
Based on that feedback, staff made senverdal revisions to the proposed changes:
■ Revised zoning and heights in areas near postsecondary institutions in the regional centre (defined as peninsular Halifax, and Dartmouth inside the Circumferential Highway).
■ Additional lot size and urban design in established residential areas within the regional centre.
■ Adding and expanding proposed heritage conservation districts.
■ Responses to over 60 site-specific requests in the regional centre.
■ Small changes to suburban opportunity sites and relaxing suburban parking requirements.
POPULATION PROJECTIONS
Housing supply is lagging.
According to staff, updated HRM population projections for the year 2050 are 734,275 in a moderate scenario up to 1,121,913 under the targeted migration for Nova Scotia.
That means about 8,000 new units are needed each year to keep up with population growth, but it’s not going that way.
In 2023, 5,883 residential permits were issued in HRM and 4,657 units were started, but only 2,954 were completed, according to data from CMHC. HRM staff point to the labour shortage, rising material costs and project financing costs as the lead factors.
PROPOSED CHANGES
With the accelerator initiatives, staff proposed some changes for heritage properties in the regional centre that they say would help the municipality meet housing objectives while still providing incentives for heritage preservation:
■ Change the zoning on registered heritage properties and proposed heritage conservation districts, which would allow an increase from one unit to two units per lot plus a secondary suite and a backyard suite.
■ Add four heritage conservation districts (to make a total of 14), including:
■ Flower Streets and Ropeworks (neighbourhood around Victoria Park) in Dartmouth
■ Jubilee Road and Youngwoodill Divisions in Halifax
■ Expand the boundaries for proposed heritage conservation districts:
Downtown Dartmouth
■ Five Corners (Portland and Pleasant streets in Dartmouth)
Oakland Road in Halifax
■ Creighton’s Field (between West and Willow streets in Halifax)
NEXT STEPS
With some clarification questions from heritage committee members, they gave it a stamp of approval and sent it along to Halifax regional council, where it will get a first reading on April 23. There will be a public hearing with second reading (likely in May).
After debate and a council vote, HRM will submit changes to the provincial government’s director of planning for review and approval.