Province Takes Further Steps to Unlock Development in HRM

The Province is taking more action to support housing growth in Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), issuing new orders and moving policies forward.

The measures include Municipal Affairs Minister John Lohr designating HRM as an interim planning area. Under this order, new minimum planning requirements for HRM take effect immediately. The designation also enables some policies from HRM’s Regional Plan for suburban growth, and the Minister has taken other additional steps to support transit-oriented growth.

“There’s a critical need for housing in Halifax,” said Minister Lohr. “We’re taking action to unlock development in the municipality while work on the Regional Plan continues. These orders will give effect to the minimum planning requirement regulations for housing supply and allow planning and development to begin in key suburban areas targeted for growth.”

The interim planning area order removes barriers to residential development in the region by requiring the municipality to implement the following minimum planning requirements:

• permitting residential uses in most zones, where appropriate
• calculating gross density rather than net density for conservation design developments that begin construction before April 1, 2028
• ensuring height restrictions do not impact density for mass timber or other construction methods for residential buildings
• removing unit mix requirements and reducing the percentage of ground floor commercial space required in residential buildings that begin construction before April 1, 2028
• removing on-site parking requirements for residential buildings within the urban service area
• permitting temporary housing in non-permanent structures in all zones to allow employees to live on or near work sites
• permitting manufactured housing, including modified shipping containers converted into housing, in all residential zones.

A second order from Minister Lohr changes the Minimum Planning Requirement Regulations to clarify the zones where residential development will not be permitted and extend the timeline on temporary provisions to April 1, 2028. This will maintain a two-year opportunity window for projects early in the planning process.

Suburban Growth

Suburban growth policies that are enabled through the interim planning area designation include allowing residential projects near proposed or existing rapid transit routes to be considered for a development agreement.

Minister Lohr also identified nine suburban growth area opportunity sites and enabled policies to help unlock future development in these areas while the municipality works to develop its Suburban Plan. The sites are:

• Dunbrack Street and Lacewood Drive, Clayton Park
• Downsview Mall, Lower Sackville
• Herring Cove Road at Dentith Road, Spryfield
• Mill Cove, Bedford
• Portland Street/Baker Drive, Dartmouth
• Portland Street/Eisener Boulevard, Dartmouth
• Tacoma Drive, Dartmouth
• Woodlawn Mall, Dartmouth
• Melville Heights/Herring Cove Road, Armdale.

Identification as an opportunity site provides a pathway to the application process for new developments and advances infrastructure planning in these areas already identified for future growth.

The Province is currently working with the municipality to develop a more practical, resident-focused Regional Plan.

The orders, including maps of the suburban growth area opportunity sites, are available at: https://novascotia.ca/just/regulations/rxaa-l.htm#hrmipao

Quotes:

“People in the Halifax Regional Municipality need housing, and we are doing everything in our power to make this happen. This new interim planning area will help housing projects move ahead today and provide housing for Nova Scotians and their families, faster.”
— Colton LeBlanc, Minister of Growth and Development

“Halifax shares the same goal as the Province: unlocking more housing and accelerating development. We are aligned in the urgent need to enable growth by removing barriers. The steps announced today reflect the shared mission in our respective planning work. The municipality is moving quickly to deliver an amended Regional Plan by the end of 2025, and I will continue to work closely with the Province to build more housing, faster.”
— Andy Fillmore, Mayor, Halifax Regional Municipality

Quick Facts:

• the municipality had been required to implement the minimum planning requirements by December 31, 2024, and the deadline was extended to June 30, 2025
• the Minister of Municipal Affairs has the authority to designate an interim planning area under subsection 229A (2) of the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter when minimum planning requirements have not been met; the Minister’s second order was issued under the subsection 229(4)
• the minimum planning requirements also required the municipality to adopt the Suburban Plan by January 31, 2025
• HRM defines its suburban area as the area outside the regional centre that has municipal water, wastewater and transit services; the regional centre includes peninsula Halifax and Dartmouth within the Circumferential Highway
• since 2023, the Province has paved the way to create 68,841 new housing units under the Action for Housing plan

Additional Resources:

News release – Housing Plan on Track to Meet or Exceed Goals https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/09/24/housing-plan-track-meet-or-exceed-goals

News release – More Affordable Housing in Dartmouth; Cole Harbour Development Approved: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/09/18/more-affordable-housing-dartmouth-cole-harbour-development-approved

Minister’s statement – Extending Deadline for Minimum Planning Regulations in HRM: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/01/24/ministers-statement-extending-deadline-minimum-planning-regulations-hrm

News release – New Regulations Remove Barriers, Create More Opportunities for Housing in HRM: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2024/08/21/new-regulations-remove-barriers-create-more-opportunities-housing-hrm

The government’s five-year housing plan, Our Homes, Action for Housing: https://novascotia.ca/action-for-housing/