Halifax councillors tweak zoning changes for fast-tracking housing
A new coalition has been formed to call for a better housing plan
Halifax councillors have had their first debate on major proposed zoning changes that would be brought in under Ottawa's Housing Accelerator Fund, but they did not make any significant adjustments.
Staff brought the slew of suggested new rules before Halifax regional council on Tuesday. They stem from the $79-million federal housing money the city won last year to fast-track housing.
The changes could allow for more than 200,000 new housing units to be built in the coming years, with about 135,000 in suburban areas of the municipality and 70,700 in the urban centre.
"Wow — that's quite something. That's jaw-dropping," said Coun. Trish Purdy during the meeting.
At least four units would be allowed on a lot in nearly all residential areas through the urban service area — where there is already city water and wastewater infrastructure — and up to eight units on a lot within the urban core of Dartmouth and Halifax.
Population continuing to grow
Purdy was the lone councillor to ask for a major change: she suggested keeping existing zoning in residential areas through suburban areas.
"This feels like we're just throwing zoning out the window and changing everything in every area of our municipality so quickly," Purdy said.
She said nothing in the plan addressed the ongoing issues that are contributing to the housing crisis, which include high interest rates, labour shortages and supply chain issues.
No one seconded Purdy's motion, so it didn't continue to open debate.
Kasia Tota, manager of Halifax's community planning division, acknowledged that these are major changes that go "well beyond" the fund's minimum requirements and original goal of allowing 27,000 units over the next three years.
But she and other councillors said with a four per cent average annual population growth in recent years, the development market hasn't kept up and this is one piece of the puzzle the municipality can control.
Staff also said these changes are needed to incentivize wooden buildings, which are faster and cheaper to build.
"Zoning is a wonderful tool — it can also limit things artificially, not keep up with the changing needs of the community," Tota said.
Coun. Waye Mason said Halifax is already hitting population targets for what was expected in 10 years and these changes set the city up for the next 20 to 50 years.
Some councillors made changes to sites in their own district, including Mason's move to keep bedroom limits in the urban centre.
He said the issue is especially important for university areas on the peninsula, where illegal bedrooms in converted living rooms or closets are still a problem.
"We don't want to walk away from these controls right now. I think that would be a mistake," Mason said.
Coalition critical of plan
But a new group of residents, planning experts and former councillors are raising concerns about the plan.
The Coalition for a Better HRM Housing Plan argued in an open letter the proposal won't speed up construction or result in affordable options and will actually hurt the environment.
The group is asking for the plan to instead prioritise development of empty, underutilised and misused greyfield and brownfield sites for housing — these would include parking lots or former commercial or industrial sites.
"We need a plan. We don't need this kind of ad-hoc crisis management … and I think quite honestly, politically-motivated kind of idea that, 'Oh, we're going to do something right away for this housing crisis,'" Frank Palermo, group member and professor emeritus at Dalhousie University's school of planning, told CBC on Tuesday.
"Housing isn't a crisis. Housing is a continuing need. If we want to grow as a city, as a region, as a province, we have to find a way to grow around the right infrastructure, and that's where government should be investing."
All councillors except Purdy voted to approve the various small changes made to the proposal Tuesday.
There will be a public hearing in May before council makes its final decision.
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With files from Tom Murphy