HTNS Holds Successful Public Forum on the Impacts of the Housing Accelerator Fund on HRM

More than 120 people gathered in Burke Theatre B on the St. Mary’s University campus last evening for an event hosted by the HRM Committee of the Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia, to discuss the federal Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) as it is being applied in HRM. 

Heritage Trust president, Sandra Barss, welcomed participants and explained the Trust’s interest in the proposed sweeping changes to the city’s planning policy. She noted that recent zoning changes ushered in with the approval of the Centre Plan in 2021 have led to the demolition of numerous historic buildings on the Halifax peninsula. As an organization whose mission is the preservation and protection of Nova Scotia’s built heritage, the Trust is concerned with the destruction of these important buildings. However, as residents, we are also concerned about the loss of hundreds of existing affordable housing units that those historic buildings contained. “We fear that approval of HRMs HAF proposals will lead to the demolition of more historic buildings and the loss of existing affordable housing. That is why we invited other groups who also have concerns about HRM’s proposals to come together to look for better solutions to address the housing crisis.”

 Retired planner, Jeff Ward, followed with an overview of the HAF changes to what may be built in the city. Ward took the audience through a series of maps posted on the HRM website and explained the breadth and scope of the proposed changes. Members of the audience expressed appreciation for the clarification Ward provided, which have been poorly explained by HRM.

Principal speaker, Frank Palermo, Professor Emeritus at Dalhousie University’s School of Planning, was interrupted with applause several times as he spoke. Palermo passionately addressed the need for a real plan with long range vision; that infrastructure and transportation must be at the forefront of any planning process. The current ad hoc approach being applied in response to the demands of the HAF is destructive to existing neighbourhoods. Palermo spoke of large tracts of vacant, underused, and mis-used land in Halifax and Dartmouth that could accommodate all HRM’s current and future housing needs and without destabilizing existing neighbourhoods. 

 Palermo pointed out the HAF changes received virtually no public consultation, in contrast to the recently adopted Centre Plan that took several years of consultation and negotiation before it came into force. Palermo noted that Council and staff seem uninterested in consulting with the public, and that they seem intent on continuing without planning for the necessary infrastructure.

 In audience discussion after Palermo’s talk, consensus was constituents must insist that their elected officials take a long view and focus on the necessary infrastructure that will enable an orderly expansion of the city and surrounding growth centres.  They cannot simply capitulate to the HAF edict from federal housing minister, Sean Fraser. 

Access to a recording of the event as it was streamed live on Facebook is available here: (a Facebook account is not needed to view the video): https://www.facebook.com/HeritageTrustNovaScotia/videos/430956212783379/