The Housing Strategy

Municipal Jurisdiction

HRM is responsible for planning within the municipality, which must incorporate policies that address the need for increased housing supply to meet current and future population needs. The municipality also supports housing development through programs supporting affordable housing.

In 1995, the Province of Nova Scotia and HRM signed a Service Exchange Agreement that transferred the delivery of public housing and other public service responsibilities between government bodies. Since, responsibility for providing public housing in HRM lies with the province.

The Housing Wheel

Developed by HRM, the Housing Wheel is a framework for understanding different housing types. The Housing Wheel model acknowledges that a person may move between housing types throughout their life, and that movement is not necessarily a linear path towards ownership. Issues of supply, affordability, and adequacy exist in all areas of the Housing Wheel. All housing types can take any physical form such as a single-unit dwelling, apartment unit, townhouse, etc.

The Housing Wheel was adapted from other housing models including the Housing Continuum and the City of Kelowna’s Housing Wheelhouse.

HRM’s Housing Wheel includes 6 types of housing in 3 categories:

Timeline of HRM's role in housing

2013

• The municipality joins the Housing and Homelessness Partnership (HHP), a collaborative of government organizations, non-profits and private sector groups with the goal of ending homelessness and creating affordable housing.

2018

• Municipal staff develop the Affordable Housing Work Plan in response to the 2015 Housing and Homelessness Partnership 5 Year Strategic Plan. It outlines the purpose, progress and direction of the following municipal initiatives:
  • density bonusing;
  • registration of residential rental units;
  • reducing policy barriers to housing development;
  • vulnerable neighbourhoods;
  • municipal funding incentives; and
  • using surplus municipal lands for affordable housing. 

2019

• The municipality implements a Bonus Zoning Program in the Regional Centre, allowing the municipality to permit additional residential units in exchange for providing a community benefit (i.e., affordable housing).

2020

• The municipality launches the Affordable Housing Grant Program (AHGP) to support non-profit housing providers to build, repair, and acquire affordable housing.
• The municipality enters into an agreement with CMHC through the Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) (Cities Stream) for the rapid development of deeply affordable housing targeting vulnerable populations at risk of homelessness.
• The municipality introduces Tax Relief for Non-Profit Organizations Program, available to non-profit housing providers to reduce their property tax burden.
• Council initiates the review of the Regional Plan that will review and revise existing municipal-wide housing policy respond to increased population growth, housing demand and the actions set out in Halifax Regional Municipality’s Priority Plans.
• The municipality launched waiving of construction-related permit fees for non-profit affordable housing development.
• The municipality enters into agreements with housing providers and CMHC to finance 3 Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) projects (Round 1) projects.

2021

• The municipality enters Agreements with housing providers and CMHC to finance 3 Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) projects (Round 2) projects.

2023

• The municipality adopts a Framework for Addressing Homelessness outlining how to support people experiencing homelessness.
• The municipality initiated a study to consider creating an Inclusionary Zoning Program for the municipality.
• Registration of residential rental units:The municipality requires rental property owners to register their rental properties for the purpose of providing a clearer picture of the rental landscape in the Halifax region. Over time, the registry will help the municipality proactively identify maintenance issues, reduce complaints and non-compliance, and improve the safety and overall living conditions for renters across the region.
• The municipality enter into an Agreement with Society of Saint Vincent de Paul and CMHC to finance 1 project through Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) project (Round 3).
• The municipality enters into a Contribution Agreement with CMHC through the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF), which includes an Action Planwith initiatives to increase housing supply. To date, the following initiatives that have been implemented include:
  • Reducing upfront permit costs and streamlining permitting processes
  • Regulatory changes to support housing
  • Second Unit Incentive Program to support homeowners, build a second unit on their property
  • Launching the Surplus Land for Affordable Housing

Accessibility: As it relates to housing, accessibility means the way housing is designed, built, or modified that supports independent living for persons with diverse abilities (Source: CMHC).

Affordable housing: Housing that meets the needs of a variety of households in the low to moderate income range (Source: HRM Charter).

Average market rent (AMR): Average market rents in a particular geographic area, as determined through CMHC’s Rental Market Survey.

Community land trust: A non-profit organization that acquires and holds land to be used for the benefit of community. The assets on that land can include houses, apartments, community gardens, buildings used for non-profits (Source: United Way Halifax).

Complete communities: Neighbourhoods that provide a diverse mix of places for residents to live, work, shop, learn and play. A planning approach that promotes complete communities provides a variety of amenities and housing options, connected by efficient transportation modes and networks.

Co-operative housing: A type of housing that is controlled and collectively owned by residents, who are members of the co-operative. A co-operative is a legal association, and there is no outside landlord. Co-operatives provide at-cost housing for members (Source: Cooperative Housing Federation of Canada)

Core housing need: A concept used by the CMHC and other organizations to define and measure housing need based on a set of standards. A household is in core housing need if it meets two criteria: 

• the household is below one or more of the following standards: adequacy, suitability and affordability; and
• the household would have to spend 30% or more of its before-tax household income to access local housing that meets all three standards.

Core housing need housing standards: 

• Adequate housing: "Housing is considered adequate when it isn’t in need of major repairs. Major repairs include defective plumbing or electrical wiring, or structural repairs to walls, floors, or ceilings."
• Suitable housing: "Housing is considered suitable when there are enough bedrooms for the size and make-up of resident households."
• Affordable housing: "Housing is considered to be affordable when housing costs less than 30% of before-tax household income."

(Source: CMHC)

Financial viability: The ability for the building owner or manager to generate sufficient income (from rent, fees, etc.) to meet operating costs, pay off debts and save for future needs to keep the building in good condition (Source: CMHC).

Homelessness: The situation of an individual or family who does not have a permanent address or residence, and does not have the immediate prospect, means, and ability of acquiring it (Source: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada). Homeless episodes can include time spent in emergency shelters, unsheltered locations, staying temporarily with others or in short-term rentals with no security of tenure.

Housing first principles: An approach to addressing homelessness that prioritizes the rapid housing of people experiencing homelessness with no requirements (i.e., proof of employment, sobriety, etc.), offering client’s choice in housing, integrating housing into the larger community and the development of client-centered housing (Source: Government of Canada). 

Housing Wheel: The Housing Wheel is a way to understand the housing system. The Housing Wheel recognizes that people can move across categories of the Wheel throughout their lives as circumstances change, and that home ownership is not the end goal for all residents. The Housing Wheel is made up of the following housing types:

• Emergency/short-term supportive*: Temporary, short-term accommodation for people and families experiencing homelessness. Emergency/short-term supportive housing may or may not include other services such as food, clothing or counselling (Source: CMHC), and are operated by non-profits or government and includes emergency shelters, specialized shelters (e.g., survivors of domestic violence) and transitional housing. *Not necessarily housing. Includes shelter services that support individuals experiencing homelessness, which typically include services to support individuals to become housed.
• Permanent supportive: A combination of housing assistance and support that enables people to live independently in their community. It can include services like counselling, assistance with medication, rehabilitation, meal services, personal care and other forms of support that help people to live and remain stably housed. Includes long-term care homes.  Often provided by non-profit organizations and government agencies. Examples include rental housing with support (e.g., health care, life skills, etc.) and long-term care housing.
• Non-market rental: Housing that is provided by government bodies or supported through government funding. Also known as “social housing” or “community housing”. Examples include non-profit or co-op rental housing, and public housing.
• Non-market ownership: Housing purchased from or supported by non-profit organizations of government. Examples include non-profit supported affordable ownership, and rent-to-own models.
• Market rental: Housing rented through the market, that does not generally receive direct government subsidies to purchase or maintain the property. Examples include purpose-built rental housing (see purpose-build rental definition) and secondary market rental housing (see secondary market rental definition).
• Market ownership: Housing purchased through the market that does not generally receive direct government subsidies to purchase or maintain the property.  Examples include homes occupied by their owners, and condominiums.

Incentive or bonus zoning: Also known as “density bonusing’, a planning tool which allows a municipality to require developments to provide public benefits in exchange for greater development abilities (Source: Halifax Regional Municipality). For example, a municipality can allow a developer to build additional stories than permitted in the zoning by-law in exchange for providing affordable housing or cash-in-lieu of developing the housing.

Inclusionary zoning: A planning tool that allows affordable units to be required within new developments.

Median market rent (MMR): Median market rents in a particular geographic area, as determined through CMHC’s Rental Market Survey.

Missing middle housing: Housing intended to fill the gap between single-unit dwellings and high-density multi-unit apartments. Includes multi-unit housing types such as garden suites, secondary suites, duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, row houses, courtyard housing and low-rise apartments which are four storeys or less (Source: CMHC and Halifax Regional Municipality).

Municipal development corporation: A corporation founded by a municipality to undertake development projects on government owned lands to meet local objectives and needs (Source: University of Manitoba). They differ from local government bodies as they are governed by executive broads and have an independent corporate status.

No net loss/rental replacement: Policy tools that aim to protect residents in rental units when they are proposed to be demolished. Can include requiring developers to connect with local or regional government to explore alternatives to demolition, require standardized relocation plans and offer existing residents to return to the newly developed or renovated unit at the previous price, or consider “rental only” pre-zoning for existing aging rental stock (Source: Strathcona Regional District).

Off-site construction: Off-site construction, often synonymous with terms like modular or prefabricated construction, involves manufacturing and assembling building components away from the actual construction site. This method offers numerous advantages, including reduced build times, enhanced quality control and cost savings (Source: Off-site Construction Research Centre).

Priority groups (CMHC National Housing Strategy): Includes certain groups of Canadians that experience barriers to housing. Priority groups are identified by CMHC to help shape housing policy and programs to better support them. Priority groups include:

• survivors (especially women and their children fleeing domestic violence);
• seniors;
• Indigenous peoples;
• people with disabilities;
• people dealing with mental health and addiction issues;
• veterans;
• 2SLGBTQIA+;
• racialized groups;
• recent immigrants (including refugees); and
• people experiencing homelessness (Source: CMHC National Housing Strategy).

Public housing: Government-owned housing intended to provide safe, affordable rental options to eligible low-income Nova Scotians, including families and seniors. Public housing is sometimes referred to as social housing in other jurisdictions.

Purpose-built rental (primary rental market): Housing that is constructed specifically for the purpose of being rented long-term, as opposed to being sold for individual ownership. Purpose-built units make up what is known as the primary rental market, with all other rentals grouped together in the secondary rental market. (Source: CMHC).

Rent-geared-to-income (RGI): RGI is a method used to determine rents. Tenants pay rent based on their household income and composition where rents are typically capped at 30% of the gross household income (Source: Nova Scotia Provincial Housing Authority).

Rent supplement:  A government supplement that helps renters with the cost of rent. In Nova Scotia, the Canada-Nova Scotia Targeted Housing Benefit can provide a monthly deposit to eligible households based on household size, income, and rent paid (Source: Government of Nova Scotia).

Secondary rental market: Describes all renter-occupied housing units that do not fall under the purpose-built rental umbrella (see purpose-built rental definition). This includes units owned by an individual or organization that rents them out, such as condominiums or homes owned by individuals. (Source: CMHC).

Shelter cost: Shelter costs refer to the average monthly total of all shelter expenses paid by households. For homeowners, shelter costs can include mortgage payments, property taxes and condominium fees, costs of electricity, heat, and water. For renters, shelter costs can include rent and costs of electricity, heat, and water. (Source: Statistics Canada).

Supportive housing: Supportive housing is a type of housing that provides services to support those who live there. Often referred to as ‘wraparound supports’, supports can include health care, counselling, provision of meals and life skills provided on-site or nearby. Supportive housing aims to increase resident’s independence, privacy and dignity (Source: CMHC).

Sustainable housing: Housing designed, built and operated using techniques, materials and technologies that result in houses that are highly energy efficient, have low environmental impact, supports a healthy lifestyle and are affordable (Source: CMHC).

Transitional housing: Housing that offers a supportive living environment for residents which may include access to tools, knowledge, and opportunities for social and skill development. Transitional housing is generally a time-limited program and aims to support a transition into more permanent housing (Source: CMHC).

Transit-oriented development: An approach to development that focuses on a complete community (see complete community) around a transit terminal or along a transit corridor. Characteristics include a mix of land uses, pedestrian connectivity, reduced parking, moderate to high density and transportation choices (Source: Halifax Regional Municipality Integrated Mobility Plan).