The new regulations aimed at increasing housing in Halifax

New regulations to tackle N.S. housing crisis New regulations laid out by the Nova Scotia government are aimed at increasing the housing supply in Halifax.

New regulations laid out by the Nova Scotia government are aimed at increasing the housing supply in the region's largest municipality.

The province said under the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter, it will require the municipality to make housing a top-priority in all land-use planning, regulations, decisions and development approvals under the planning strategy.

"Nova Scotians need more housing, and that need is especially great in HRM,” said Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister John Lohr in a news release.

According to the province, there are a number of other changes to the minimum planning requirement regulations, which include:

"In order to truly address this housing crisis, we need to ensure that increasing supply is a key focus in the municipal planning process and the prime consideration in development decisions. These regulations will ensure that happens," said Lohr.

The province said another new regulation will require the municipality to adopt a bylaw to support the implementation of Canada's first trusted partner program for qualified developers. It said this will provide more "streamlined and expedited" services for developers.

No date has been set for when the bylaw must be put in place.

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