Actions:
1) Implement regulations to reduce demand from speculators through land consolidation.
2) Preserve public land for cooperative and community land trust housing.
3) Conduct a study on housing needs and the diversity of housing styles required to enhance market accessibility.
4) Ensure that planning policies address accessibility and inclusivity issues in buildings and urban planning, such as incorporating features to meet the needs of the disabled community in affordable housing.
HRM is experiencing unprecedented growth and the housing crisis is real. I will push for the following reforms:
- Review the structure of the planning department to ensure optimal efficiency.
- Bylaws for affordable units in major developments should establish a specific affordable rate, rather than just being 20% below market rate. Developers are unlikely to provide affordable housing voluntarily, so there must be legislation and partnerships in place to address the lack of diverse and truly affordable housing options.
- The new Cogswell District should include genuinely affordable housing units. I will advocate for this requirement in the sales agreements for any new lots created in the district.
- Encourage and explore co-op development as a solution to the housing shortage and affordability challenges.
- Work towards improving the relationship between the municipality and the province regarding planning and development. The current division of authority is contributing to the housing problem by creating unnecessary bureaucracy and inefficient regulatory control.
- Public input is essential for the successful development of neighborhoods. Planning in Halifax should prioritize community engagement. I propose meaningful in-person and online consultation methods to gather feedback from residents, moving away from ineffective methods like post-it notes.
- When buildings are demolished for future development, applicants must provide a clear timeline for the construction of a new building in order to obtain a demolition permit. For example, the site must be cleared within 30 days of demolition, and excavation and foundation work must begin within 90 days.
- No permits should be issued without a detailed, signed, and funded plan. Non-compliance should result in significant financial penalties, such as weekly fines of $20,000 as a lien on the vacant land.
These fines could be used to finance the construction of affordable housing. If the landowner fails to comply or pay the penalties, the land may be expropriated through a tax sale process and used for municipal housing projects. - Encourage construction on empty lots and considerate infill development, with input from the community before any demolition of existing housing stock.
- Introduce performance-based building codes to ensure high-quality construction standards. Performance-based (also known as outcome-based) codes set standards based upon buildings’ actual energy use, rather than on compliance with stipulated technology or design features.