To address the cost of housing, we need to look beyond ‘tall and sprawl’.
The issues related to improving housing and housing costs are far more complex than merely increasing supply. Access to facilities, transit, and education all play a role in cost and availability.
I believe a critical component in reducing short-term housing needs is providing a clear chronological timeline for the construction of a new building if a building is being demolished for future development. This information should be included in the application to obtain the demolition permit to ensure that land does not remain vacant unnecessarily and that units are promptly replaced.
Additionally, construction mitigation needs to be improved to lessen the impact on the community. For example, better control of blasting. (Click on ‘blasting’ for video)
Check out my Instagram video about the Cogswell development and Centennial Pool.
The BBC has an interesting article about a possible solution to housing supply. Click here.
Housing and Planning Action Items
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
Student living in HRM
District 7 is the heart of student life in Halifax. Students play a vital role in our city. The cost of living impacts their ability
Greener Buildings (LEED Certification)
New building(s) have to be more environmentally friendly. This not only is good for the environment but also in the long-term creates financial benefits to
Global Homelessness
The newest victims of Australia’s homelessness crisis (bbc.com) List of homeless population by country Homelessness in Canada The Nova Scotia Non-Profit Housing Association (NSNPHA)
Action on Homelessness Crisis
How did we get to this point? Over the past 30 years, all provincial governments have reduced investment or growth in social and community services.
Housing Options
Throughout modern history, there have been various times when housing supply has been an issue. The following are some past and present solutions. Montana town’s
Improve Housing Situation/Homelessness
Homelessness is a complex issue that affects many individuals and families. It is a problem that requires a multifaceted approach to address effectively. There are
Housing Committee
Create a Housing and Poverty Standing Committee: This will allow stakeholders dealing with homelessness and poverty to have a proper voice at the municipality to
Blockbusting
Pass laws to prevent blockbusting in residential zones. View my map of demolition permits in HRM.
Community Affordable Housing
Collaborate with the province more to bring more real community affordable housing HRM.
Mapping Demolition Permits
I worked to identify how the city issued demolition permits so we could see how the city was managing development that would replace the existing
Community Health and Safety
The uptmost priority is to create a safe and healthy environment, particularly in downtown areas. I aim to ensure that our law enforcement has the necessary tools to maintain law and order while addressing issues related to race and inequity that have been mishandled in the past.
I will advocate and be a strong voice on Council to address the disconnect between police, fire, and emergency response services. As the population of HRM grows, so do the incidents of crime in our downtown. Simply increasing police presence is not enough; we must also provide opportunities for marginalized individuals to improve their economic situations so they do not turn to crime. HRM will also require more support for mental health services to enhance policing efforts.
Planting trees and greening our downtown areas can help reduce crime, combat the effects of climate change and slow down traffic. I will work with Halifax Water to review rodent control policies and ensure that By-Law Enforcement is upholding building standards. Overall, there is a need to enhance law enforcement in our community to maintain the rule of law.