More Housing, Faster

For too long, red tape slowed down housing projects, delayed approvals, and drove up costs for families. We changed that.

We've modernized outdated rules, supported the skilled trades, and removed unnecessary barriers to building. Since 2023, we've created the conditions for 68,841 new housing units — 167% of the original five-year goal of 41,200 homes. Less time in permitting and paperwork, more time on building the homes Nova Scotian families need.

In just the first year, we were more than halfway to our target, with close to 30,000 units planned — homes that will house tens of thousands of people and families bringing prices down and restoring balance to the housing market.

This is what decisive action looks like:

• August 2024: Updated Minimum Planning Requirements in HRM to unlock more housing, faster
• 16 Special Planning Areas designated in HRM, saving 3 to 24 months in development time and enabling 60,000+ proposed units
• 15 development agreements already reached, representing 10,205 units and a new long-term care facility

We are not slowing down — we are accelerating.

Faster approval rapidly decreases build time of homes and means more supply for Nova Scotians.

As a government we have already:

• Restricted the growth of short-term rentals to protect long-term housing supply
• Launched the Secondary and Backyard Suite Incentive Program, helping homeowners add affordable or supportive housing
• Invested more than $57 million through the Community Housing Acquisition Program, acquiring or securing 727 units, including 194 supportive housing units
• Amending the HRM Charter to shorten approval timelines
• Selling and donating provincial land, issuing 14 conditional approvals that could deliver 1,215 new units, including 547 affordable homes
• Investing $26.8 million through the GRID Program to support infrastructure needed to enable 4,641 housing units

This is about using every tool available to increase supply and bring costs down.

Under Premier Tim Houston, Nova Scotia has the most ambitious housing plan in its history.

Our Homes, Action for Housing is a five-year plan to tackle the housing crisis head-on and get homes built in every corner of the province.

• 40,000+ homes targeted province-wide
• Built on real input from 21,000 Nova Scotians, 115 businesses, and 100+ organizations

And the results are already exceeding expectations:

• 68,841 homes enabled — 167% of the original 2028 goal
• 41,989 households have seen improved housing conditions — 88% of the five-year target
• 19,923 households are experiencing improved affordability — 115% of the original goal

Building more homes starts with having more skilled workers on the job. That is why our PC Government is taking decisive action to grow the skilled trades workforce and speed up home construction across Nova Scotia.

We are modernizing the apprenticeship system and building on the More Opportunity for Skilled Trades (MOST) Program, which helps attract and retain young workers by refunding the provincial portion of income tax on the first $50,000 earned for eligible workers under 30. This keeps talent in Nova Scotia and ensures builders have the workers they need to get homes built faster.

Our government is delivering real results to support homebuilding:

• Adding 5,000 new apprentices in three years
• Supporting more journeypersons to train the next generation of apprentices, including a new incentive of up to $2,500 for those who mentor on the job
• Raising apprentice retention from 43 percent to 60 percent within five years, among the highest rates in Canada

These actions are strengthening the workforce that builds homes and helping Nova Scotia deliver the housing people need now and into the future.

Our PC Government strengthened the Down Payment Assistance Program, helping Nova Scotians purchase their first home.

We have:

• Increased the maximum eligible home price
• Raised household income eligibility to $145,000, up from $75,000 supporting more families
• Provide 5% of a home's purchase price to help cover the whole minimum down payment

These changes are helping Nova Scotians achieve the dream of homeownership.

We are growing and protecting affordable housing so people can stay in their communities.

• 4,909 affordable and supportive housing units created — 98% of the five-year goal
• 266 modular affordable units delivered, exceeding the original target
• 515 new public housing units committed — the largest investment in 30 years — creating homes for 1,300 people
• 385 affordable units preserved through the Community Housing Capital Fund

We are also helping people remain safely housed:

• 6,020 homeowners, many of them seniors, supported through home repair and adaptation programs
• 38,485 low-income seniors assisted with household costs through the Seniors Care Grant
• 12,000 households supported through rent supplements