Nova Scotia’s housing plan hailed by non-profits as an ‘impressive’ first step

The province announced an extension of its two-per-cent rent cap, as well as investments in affordable housing units and a planning task force.

The housing plan released by Nova Scotia’s Progressive Conservative government is receiving high marks from some advocates who hope to see it lead to solutions to the province’s housing crisis.

Under new legislation brought forward Wednesday, the province’s two-per-cent rent cap will be extended until December 2023 to protect tenants once the state of emergency ends.

The announcement also included investments in affordable housing units and creating a planning task force to focus on faster planning and development approvals for large residential projects in HRM.

Kevin Hooper, the manager of partnerships and community development with United Way Halifax, said the announcement was “impressive in its understanding of the issues” from a holistic perspective.

“To get the results we want, we need a systemic response, and this is one piece of the puzzle that will get us there,” he said.

Hooper said while the legislation isn’t a silver bullet, it’s a good start in fixing the longstanding issue of housing affordability in the province.

“It’s society, the province as a whole. There are costs associated with people being unhoused … we all need to take responsibility for this and we need to take it seriously and treat it as the crisis that it is.”

Not everyone is a fan of the legislation. In a release, Kevin Russell, the executive director of the Investment Property Owners Association of Nova Scotia, said his association wasn’t consulted beforehand.