Not in the Conversation
There are 4621 building permits on the Halifax open data system, dating from 12/22/2020 to 7/29/22. Some are phased - the garage of a commercial building gets a different permit than the central structure. So the 4621 permits are for 4162 projects worth $2.2 billion:
Excluding everything except multi-unit residential and mixed-use permits for new construction shows 104 permits worth $953,149,620 comprising 4912 units. There are also 247 renovations projects covering 5711 multiple units. New units average $194,045 each. The average rent in Halifax is $1650 for a 1 bedroom, so for rentals the capital cost is covered in about ten years (excluding finance and maintenance costs).
The total of new units in multi settings is 4912 units on 22 hectares in 532 stories.
Here’s a view of the projects. Red is mixed-use, blue is residential. Height is proportional to the number of stories. The pink areas are the special areas HRM has recently designated for emergency development:
And a closer view of the peninsula
Executive Panel on Housing in the Halifax Regional Municipality
In Halifax there is a Housing task force whose mandate is to speed up the development process. They have suspended some rules in the pink areas above.
Their cryptic, uninformative Agendas and Minutes are available on the web
They had presentations from HRM planning, Construction Nova Scotia, the Chamber of Commerce and something called UDI
No humans though
Many (most) of their meetings were in camera
They cited an Atlantic article titled Community Input Is Bad, Actually
Maybe that explains the lack thereof
Their target for new. units is 22,600, though there is no reasoning I can find.
There’s no explanation of how their actions further long-term goals
Instead of speeding up the process by hiring more staff or working harder, they simply changed the rules.
Here’s how it works
HRM will receive 12 percent of the appraised value of the site from the developer and will invest the majority(?) of those funds in new or existing affordable housing and the rest in community art or cultural spaces.
Here’s what’s wrong
There is nothing about accessibility
There is nothing about aging-in-place to ease the pressure on care homes
There is nothing about ownership vs rental
No programs put forward
What’s a majority?
Take for example
The already approved King’s Wharf in Dartmouth, value $47.5 million, 220 units
If this had been done under the special rules, the developer would pay 5.7 million to the municipality
To be used for affordability and community spaces.
The Province has a 1,698 person waitlist (2/2/2021) for small options homes.
$5.7 million would buy 28 $200,000 apartments
Drop, bucket
Helping some problems
Wouldn’t you think, with all the embarrassing missteps on disability, corrective action would be a priority?
Systemic discrimination
Incarceration
Homeless mistreatment
Here’s the net worth of most Canadians
People with disabilities are essentially prevented from saving
Not like real people
The province’s Disability Support Program builds wealth among landlords
What is affordable?
The minimum wage in Nova Scotia is $13.35/hr. - $2225/mo
30% rule = $667.50 for housing
Average rent for a 1 bedroom is $1650
Explain please! See page 20 of Charting a new course for affordable housing in Nova Scotia
Other missing Considerations
Transportation
Sidewalks and infrastructure
Visitability
Food deserts
Good to know
2021 population of HRM 439,819
Over 65 76,167 - 17%
Private dwellings 200,473
Apartment dwellings 75,330 - 27% of total
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