Creating the conditions to build more homes.
Halifax needs more housing - and it needs it faster.
Recent growth has put real pressure on the housing market. Costs are up, supply is tight, and too many projects take longer than they should to move from approval to construction to completion.
The region’s continued growth brings tremendous opportunity - but only if the municipality is ready. That means planning ahead, investing in infrastructure, and ensuring new housing can be build where people want to live.
Mayor Fillmore's approach focuses on what the municipality can control: modernizing planning, streamlining approvals, removing unnecessary barriers, and creating the conditions for more homes to be built.
Housing is about more than buildings. It's about ensuring people can live, work, raise families, and build their future in Halifax.
The focus is clear: build more homes, lower costs where the municipality can, and deliver the housing a growing Halifax needs.
Here's how Mayor Fillmore is working with Regional Council to turn priorities into action - and what it means for residents.
Fixing a system where projects sat for years.
→ More homes moving from proposal to construction — faster
- Cut bottlenecks in approvals and sped up timelines.
- Created the Housing Approvals Acceleration Initiative to fix delays.
- Opened the door to faster, lower-cost building methods like modular and mass timber.
Putting land to work so builders can build.
→ More housing options across the region
- Launched Surplus Lands for Affordable Housing to use public land.
- Backed major housing projects with federal and provincial partners.
- Expanded secondary units to add homes in existing neighbourhoods.
Making sure housing can actually be built.
→ Homes built where infrastructure is ready to go
- Secured funding for housing-supporting infrastructure.
- Advanced planning for resilient community connectivity and emergency access.
- Pushed for infrastructure readiness tied to rapid growth and investment.
Setting direction so growth doesn't stall.
→ A clearer, faster path to building the homes Halifax needs
- Advanced the Regional Plan and launched the Suburban Plan.
- Launched a public dashboard to track development progress.
- Shifted City Hall toward action - getting projects moving, quickly.
Halifax is growing, and the municipality must be ready. By removing barriers, planning for growth, and accelerating housing - the goal is to ensure more people can afford to live, work, and build their future in Halifax.