Halifax moves ahead with 2 projects to bring in more affordable housing

Halifax council is taking steps to bring more affordable housing to the city through the new Cogswell District, and sale of some municipal land.

On Tuesday, city councillors directed staff to start developing land-use policies and bylaws for the Cogswell area and surrounding lands, as well as a strategy for long-term affordable housing in the 6.5-hectare site.

"It is exciting, this has been a long time in coming," said Coun. Patty Cuttell.

New roads, bike lanes and park space are under construction now to create a neighbourhood that bridges downtown and the North End, replacing the former maze of traffic ramps.

Over the coming months, staff will consult with Halifax residents and business owners to create the land-use plans that will shape development in the district. Those plans will regulate density, and height and design rules for new buildings.

The affordable housing strategy could include mandatory affordable units in certain developments, long-term leases, partnering with other levels of government, or land trusts.

"This is such an ideal place for affordable housing, for community development," said Coun. Pam Lovelace.

Staff members told council that infrastructure in the area could support 3,400 housing units, potentially allowing far more people to move into new buildings than the 2,500 envisioned under the original projections.

Given the current housing and homelessness crisis, Coun. Waye Mason said it's clear every unit is needed and the early population estimate seems "absurdly low."

Halifax planner Ross Grant told council that there's no target population, but "we know what the ceiling is." He said staff will now get public feedback about density and building height, which will all play into how many units are built.

The staff report said buildings will "generally" be high-rise, mixed-use buildings hitting the maximum height of 80 to 96 metres, following the Halifax Citadel sight lines. 

A staff report said public engagement on the land-use plans and affordable housing strategy will include open houses, an online survey, and walking tours of the Cogswell site before an official public hearing at City Hall.

During Tuesday's meeting, councillors also gave staff approval to declare six parcels of land around Halifax as surplus, specifically earmarked for affordable housing projects.

They are mostly vacant or parkland sites, and range from a few hundred to a few thousand square feet.