Preserving city character or providing basic needs? Halifax residents speak to proposed changes
Councillors heard from dozens of people during a public hearing Tuesday and Wednesday
More than 80 people weighed in on proposed Halifax zoning changes during a two-day public hearing, with most saying the plan would destroy the city's character and do nothing to address the housing crisis.
But other residents and developers argued that all kinds of housing are badly needed — and preserving single-family neighbourhoods in the city only benefits people who are already housed.
Halifax councillors heard from dozens of people on Tuesday and Wednesday about the slew of suggested new rules stemming from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund. The city received $79 million from Ottawa last year to fast-track housing.
The proposal would allow four housing units on a lot within the service boundary, and up to eight units a lot, depending on size, in most residential areas of the urban core. Taller buildings up to seven or nine storeys would be allowed on key transit routes, heritage areas would be expanded or created, and dozens of specific developments would also be approved.
Many residents in single-family homes on the peninsula said they were worried the plan would hurt community character, and lead to older buildings being torn down to capitalize on the new zoning. They want the city to allow only four units per lot in the urban core because only four was required under the federal fund.
"For as sure as there are daily tides, these proposed new rules — as seemingly persuasive as they might appear to be — will introduce rot into the fabric of those treasured parts of the city and ensure its destruction. Not tomorrow, nor the next day, but within a generation," said resident Ian Taylor.
People were also concerned that infrastructure like water and wastewater systems would be overwhelmed, traffic issues would worsen, and that a reduction in parking requirements in suburban areas didn't make sense because people would still rely on cars.
Others said taller buildings would cast more shadows into the low-rise homes alongside them, hurting gardens or solar panels. Some suggested focusing development on car dealerships, empty lots or former industrial lands in the urban core.
David Jakeman, a south-end resident, was one of many who said the plan was a windfall for developers and current buildings wouldn't become affordable once new ones went up.
"Do you want to be labelled as the council that destroyed the livable city?" Jakeman said. "Relying upon market forces to fix the housing crisis is madness … let us keep those assets, and build not-for-profit housing."
A smaller, but equally passionate, number of residents said the city is not actually livable for people who've been pushed out due to high rents, or were out-bid on dozens of homes in recent years. They said it's clear the market is not keeping up with the city's population growth, which has recently been two to four per cent a year.
As a young professional, Samantha Horner said she'd love to buy a home and start her family, but she can't find housing — a point echoed by several others. Horner also noted that gentrification has been underway in Halifax for some time, but never had the same attention because it was often in lower-income areas like the North End.
"Change is very, very hard, but people in this city have been living with change for decades, because they had to. People on Gottingen [Street] have been living with change for a really long time and they didn't have a choice in the matter," Horner said.
Resident Gabby Sorenson of Bedford said housing isn't a luxury but a "basic human need" that the municipality should not be preventing, and four units per lot everywhere should have been on the table years ago.
"Failure to supply [housing], or a failure to even let private developers supply it, is akin to a failure to supply water, food, or sanitation," Sorenson said.
Some developers and planning consultants spoke in favour of the plan, saying the changes to measuring height in storeys would allow more flexibility and keep construction costs lower.
"By making buildings more affordable, rent becomes more affordable," said Andrew Inch of Cresco.
Jacob Ritchie of United Gulf Developments, also a former Halifax municipal planner, said it's important to remember zoning changes allow things to be built — but major change won't happen overnight. He and others said labour market and interest rate issues are still there, but allowing small multi-units across the city will allow new people to get into the industry and build quickly.
Community defined by people, not 'the size of my building'
Ritchie, who lives on the peninsula, also defended families in apartments after some speakers said multi-unit buildings keep people in isolation and hurt neighbourhoods.
"The character of my neighbourhood is not defined by the size of my building, or even the architecture of the buildings, it's defined by the people who live in them," Ritchie said.
"You can live in a single-family home, you can live in a tiny home, you can live in an apartment building, and you are a valuable member of our community."
People both for and against the plan called for more investment in transit and protections for green space to complement the growth.
The changes could allow for more than 200,000 new housing units to be built in the coming years, with about 135,000 in suburban areas of the municipality and 70,700 in the urban centre.
Councillors will debate the issue Thursday and make a final decision.
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