District 10 and Council Updates
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AN HRM MODEL FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING; HELP PLAN FOR EMERGENCIES ON SEPTEMBER 27; BOOK SALE SEPTEMBER 23
WORKING TOGETHER FOR HOUSING
Last week I wrote about the homelessness situation in HRM. Thank you for reading and sharing that post. This week I’d like to focus on a potential solution. This photo shows the recently completed affordable housing project on True North Crescent in Dartmouth. Back in November 2020, just after the current HRM Regional Council was elected, we approved the sale of land (for $1) to the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia to support this project. The Province of Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada contributed financially.
The True North project is an example of all three levels of government working together with a community partner to build housing that’s not only deeply affordable, it’s attractive and good for families (there’s an elementary school just two minutes away). There are long term guarantees in place to keep the rent affordable and the building is energy efficient (note the solar panels on the roof) so heating and energy costs will always be low. It’s a good model.
The only catch is it took almost 3 years to build these homes. We need thousands of units of affordable housing in HRM. We have a housing crisis and a climate crisis all across Canada and we need better housing sooner. Fortunately there was some potential good news this week from the federal Minister of Housing, Sean Fraser. He sent a letter to Mayor Savage confirming Halifax is a likely candidate for significant federal funding for construction of affordable housing. The Minister praised the municipality’s current approach to adding denser housing close to the city core and on transit routes but he had four additional conditions HRM must meet to qualify for funding:
-legalize 4 housing units per property as-of-right city wide (this means allow housing projects of up to 4 units with minimal restrictions)
-legalize dwellings up to 4 storeys for all residential areas under Centre Plan (that means 4 storey buildings would be automatically permitted throughout Peninsula Halifax and downtown Dartmouth)
-increase student rental housing within walking distance of universities and community colleges (ie near MSVU)
-create a non-market housing strategy with dedicated staff (HRM must find ways to support housing that isn’t entirely dependent on private developers)
These would be big changes for HRM and more detail is needed. Essentially Minister Fraser is asking HRM to approve denser and taller housing in more areas of the city, with fewer restrictions on new projects. The Minister recently announced $74 million in federal support for construction of 2000 affordable housing units in London, Ontario and something similar in scope could be on the way for HRM if we can meet the conditions. This will require more discussion at Regional Council over the coming weeks. Although some of the conditions only apply to the Halifax Peninsula and downtown Dartmouth, a made-in-HRM affordable housing strategy is something that could benefit our district and the entire municipality.
If you would like to have your say about affordable housing or other aspects of HRM's development (recreation, transit, road safety), please comment online through the link below or attend the upcoming Regional Plan Review session on Monday, September 25 at the Canada Games Centre (Boardroom), 26 Thomas Raddall Drive, Halifax. Session 1 is 2:00pm-4:00pm. Session 2 is 5:30pm-7:30pm.
www.shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/regional-plan
HELP DISTRICT 10 PREPARE FOR EMERGENCIES
Just a reminder that there will be a public engagement session on September 27 to help identify risks in our district related to weather and other types of emergencies. Led by the Halifax Regional Municipality Emergency Management Division, the session will be held at Mosaic Church in Fairview (28 Willett Street) at 6 pm.
It's part of a city-wide Hazard, Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (HRVA). HRM’s team will gather local knowledge from residents about historical hazards and the likelihood of reoccurrence. Another goal is to increase overall community awareness and preparedness in the face of emergencies. The information residents offer about the potential hazards and risks will help guide preparedness, response, and recovery at a community level and across the municipality.
All members of the local community, emergency response agencies, and other stakeholders are invited to participate. Residents who are unable to attend their district or community meetings can still participate in the HRVA process by submitting comments online in the survey at the link below:
www.shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/hrva
COMMUNITY NOTICE - BOOK SALE
The Big Book Sale at St. Peter’s Church (3 Dakin Drive, off Kearney Lake Road) is rescheduled because of the storm last weekend. It is now Saturday September 23 from 10 am to 1 pm.
All books are $2.00 and it's BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag).
COUNCILLOR KATHRYN MORSE
DISTRICT 10
HALIFAX – BEDFORD BASIN WEST
(FAIRVIEW, CLAYTON PARK AND ROCKINGHAM)
KATHRYN.MORSE@HALIFAX.CA
We see so many vacant lots around town, some have been empty for 5+ years, and more houses are being torn down. Is there any plan to keep housing from being torn down and a plan to keep those vacant lots from staying vacant?
TENT CITY
As you may have learned in the news, Regional Council focused on homelessness at the meeting last Tuesday. Council decided against using part of the Halifax Commons as a tenting space, but the urgent problem remains: what to do with the 35 tents at Victoria Park and the growing number of tents at Grand Parade and other locations downtown? Conditions are so crowded these sites are becoming a health hazard for everyone involved.
According to the report that came to council, five years ago in HRM there were 18 people living on the street. This summer the number of unhoused was 178. That number is expected to double next year. Some of the unhoused are sleeping in cars, some are camping in wooded areas, and some are seeking refuge in municipal parks. How has homelessness become such a big issue for Regional Council? Mainly because the social safety net in Nova Scotia has so many gigantic holes in it that people are falling through and ending up in tents in HRM parks.
If the provincial health care system was working properly, people with addictions and mental health issues would be getting treatment and offered supportive housing, and not living in tents in downtown parks. If the provincial child welfare system was working properly, when youth in care turn 18 they would have transitional housing, rather than left to fend for themselves in tents in downtown parks. If the provincial seniors housing program did not have such a long waiting list, there wouldn’t be seniors living in tents in downtown parks. If the provincially-run emergency and social housing system had adequate housing for those in need, people wouldn’t be forced to live in tents in downtown parks. The tents aren't a sign of personal failure, they are a sign of systemic failure.
Our Premier continues to blame Regional Council but Regional Council does not have responsibility for the systems that are failing. Health care, child welfare, seniors' housing, emergency housing – these are all responsibilities of the provincial government, and ultimately of Premier Houston. The Premier seems to believe if Regional Council simply approved more building permits and lowered costs for developers that would solve our housing crisis. HRM has sped up building permits and approved thousands of housing units. This is helping the overall housing shortage, but it won't address the shortage of affordable housing. The problem is not the speed of building permits or the cost of building permits (still one of the lowest in the country), it’s the type of housing being built.
In Nova Scotia, and much of Canada, we are almost totally reliant on private developers for housing. Private developers are in it to make money so they build the types of housing that are profitable. They can’t make money on emergency shelters or affordable apartments so they don't build them. Even if a developer wanted to build affordable, rent-geared-to-income housing, that developer wouldn’t be able to get a mortgage because the project would not make enough money to cover costs. The only way for deeply affordable housing to be built in Nova Scotia is if the federal and provincial governments subsidize it. This is a widely acknowledged fact, but one our Premier does not want to accept.
Private developers can't solve our current crisis in affordable housing. HRM can't solve the crisis either. HRM may be able to contribute land or assist with infrastructure, but with a municipal budget less than one tenth of the provincial budget there isn’t much room for HRM to contribute. HRM's property tax base is too small and the municipality is already sending 20% of our revenues to the Province ($200+ million a year) to provide housing and other “shared services”, services that clearly aren’t being adequately provided.
It's shocking and heartbreaking to see people living in tents in our city parks but the tents are just the most visible part of a wider shortage of affordable housing. Overall in HRM there are 30,000 households under stress because they are spending more than 30% of their income on housing. Solving this affordability crisis requires federal and provincial government intervention, leadership and funding. Everyone on council wants to make this situation better, myself included. Behind the scenes, HRM continues to work with the federal and provincial governments on housing issues wherever possible and HRM is putting resources into providing basic services for those in the tents.
While some residents want Regional Council to keep tents out of our parks, Canadian courts have ruled that housing is a human right and governments can't evict people from public land unless housing alternatives are available. Right now in HRM there are no housing alternatives for hundreds of our fellow citizens forced to live in tents. The sooner the Premier accepts this problem won't be solved by private developers alone, the sooner we can move on to some real affordable housing solutions and put that provincial budget surplus to good use.
COUNCILLOR KATHRYN MORSE
DISTRICT 10
HALIFAX – BEDFORD BASIN WEST
(FAIRVIEW, CLAYTON PARK AND ROCKINGHAM)
KATHRYN.MORSE@HALIFAX.CA
With all due respect Councillor, this just sounds like more “passing the buck”. Maybe if all levels of government spent half the time over the past years/months crafting reasons for why the housing crisis is someone else’s fault, we would be much closer to a more sustainable solution. At the end of the day, the solution requires action by ALL levels of government and that begins with taking accountability. Keeping in mind also that many unhoused and financially stressed people in the HRM fall into the “working poor” category, meaning they are and have been paying taxes which have built this very city and the amenities and services we all benefit from. I personally am getting tired of hearing these arguments while every moment of time spent drafting an opinion like the one you’ve shared above, is a moment someone is suffering greatly.
This is not just a failure at the provincial level. This is a failure at all levels to prioritize sustainable community centric initiatives. Those on the street are not there solely because they can't get help with addictions or transitional housing. They are there because we allowed the focus to be making money over care of our own and this includes the municipal level. There are so many struggling because of market conditions out of their control.
thank you, as always for your thoughtful, well researched comments.
Thank you for your thoughtful comments
Very well said Kathryn! Perhaps HRM could urgently put the $200 million towards affordable housing in Halifax ‘on behalf of’ the province in lieu of handing it to Premier Houston. Desperate times call for desperate measures!
100% with you on this. This is the failing of provincial government. Tim Houston wanted Stephen McNeil’s leftover mess. He has to fix this.
There are construction cranes every where in HRM building more and more housing units. Perhaps HRM councilors and our Mayor might begin to deny approval of these projects if they are not committed to a portion of the units being affordable perhaps $800 a month for 20% of the units? Perhaps as an incentive Companies building these properties would get recompense in terms of permit fee breaks and other windfall money for the city prior to approval of the projects. But then again it's all politics. Smoke and mirrors. Lets all pretend we care!
We have too many people living here without all of the logistics needed. Let’s quadruple our population without the housing, health care, schools, etc for everyone to be able to thrive. So tired of the blame game.
Respectfully, I think you are wrong. Most of the peninsula is zoned ER-1/ER-2 (basically single family home + backyard suite) We need to upzone, and upzone now. No, not 30 stories beside single family homes. But some gentle density. 4-7 stories across the peninsula. Council continues to ... not talk about this. Why can't we do this tomorrow and start building? Something is very wrong. Who are we keeping in our interests by maintaining ER-1/ER-2 zoning across the peninsula? Definitely not those who are facing immediate housing concerns.
The Premier set blame on HRM,and the Mayor for lack of proper action to provide help to the homeless. It's not just HRM that has this issue. Stop passing the buck and put up. This problem isn't going away. Don't leave our homeless hopeless.
BACK TO SCHOOL SAFELY; PREPARING FOR EXTREME WEATHER IN DISTRICT 10; REGIONAL PLAN OPEN HOUSE IN CLAYTON PARK; HALIFAX WEST FOOTBALL GAME- SEPT 14
CROSSING GUARDS ADDED AT DUNBRACK AND WASHMILL
Several parents and school staff have contacted me over the last year or so to request crossing guards at the intersection of Dunbrack and Washmill. Children living in the Washmill area have to cross four lanes of Dunbrack Street traffic to attend school in Fairview. The Dunbrack/Washmill intersection is close to Highway 102 and traffic speeds can be high. I passed parents’ concerns and requests on to Halifax Regional Police. After evaluating this intersection, HRP has recently decided to add crossing guards here, just in time for the start of the school year. For back to school safety tips:
www.halifax.ca/fire-police/police/crime-prevention-tips/back-school-safety
DISTRICT 10 CLIMATE RISK ASSESSMENT - SEPTEMBER 27
HRM's Environment and Climate Change team and Emergency Management Division are working on a plan to protect residents from severe weather events. They will be developing a Hazard, Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (HRVA) to better understand gaps in critical infrastructure and they are looking for input from District 10 residents.
As we saw this year with the wildfires and flooding, climate change is affecting our local environment. By assessing community vulnerability from a wide spectrum including the physical, social, economic and cultural impacts, the municipality will be better prepared for natural and human-caused emergencies and disasters.
27 September 2023
District 10 - Mosaic Church, 28 Willet Street
All public engagement sessions will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
If you are unable to attend but would like to contribute please complete the survey in this link:
www.shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/hrva?tool=news_feed
REGIONAL PLAN OPEN HOUSE SEPTEMBER 25
Every five years HRM reviews its path forward through the Regional Plan Review. The Regional Plan sets out a common vision and long term planning policies outlining where, when, and how future growth and development should take place. It was adopted in 2006 and is being updated. The next two months are a critical point in the Regional Plan process, one that residents can participate in. There are several engagement opportunities taking place from now until the end of October 2023.
Whether you’re concerned about traffic safety, transit, lake water quality, or access to parks, your can have your say at the Open House engagement event being held in our community later this month:
September 25, 2023 – Canada Games Centre (Boardroom), 26 Thomas Raddall Drive. Session 1 is 2:00pm-4:00pm. Session 2 is 5:30pm-7:30pm.
For more details:
www.shapeyourcityhalifax.ca/regional-plan?tool=guest_book
HALIFAX WEST WARRIORS FOOTBALL - SEPTEMBER 14
Halifax West Warriors football team is playing their home game opener on September 14 at the Mainland Commons. The team is inviting their families and friends to dress in red, white and black and come out to the game to cheer them on. The Warriors will be playing the Avon View Avalanche from Windsor.
Gates open at 5pm and the game starts at 6 pm. There will be a canteen with food, drinks, candy, noise makers and merch. Entry is $5 or $3 for students, seniors and Halifax West Alumni.
COUNCILLOR KATHRYN MORSE
DISTRICT 10
HALIFAX – BEDFORD BASIN WEST
(FAIRVIEW, CLAYTON PARK AND ROCKINGHAM)
KATHRYN.MORSE@HALIFAX.CA
This week, when passing by Washmill/Dunbrack at a dismissal time, there was no sign of a guard but lots of parents waiting! Hope its a daily service, our kids & families need this support! 👷♀️
NEW MURAL FOR FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS SCHOOL
What a transformation at Fairview Heights Elementary! Over the past week Michael Burt has been painting a massive mural at the entrance to the school. Michael is the owner of Trackside Studios. An accomplished mural artist, Michael is also the organizer of the Halifax Mural Festival that has brought so much amazing art to our city. He has turned a worn-looking beige school into a bright, colourful and even magical place. Congratulations to Michael and his team - the mural is awesome!
And many thanks to Principal Amy Hunt and the School Advisory Committee for getting this project started. I was very happy to support this mural through my District Capital funds. I'm out of town this week and looking forward to seeing the mural as soon as I get back.
www.tracksidestudios.ca/
COUNCILLOR KATHRYN MORSE
DISTRICT 10
HALIFAX – BEDFORD BASIN WEST
(FAIRVIEW, CLAYTON PARK AND ROCKINGHAM)
KATHRYN.MORSE@HALIFAX.CA
Beautiful mural!
Thank you! So beautiful!
How bright and beautiful!!!
That is beautiful!
This is amazing!
SIGN FOR DUC D'ANVILLE; SCHOOL STARTS SEPTEMBER 7
SUPPORT FOR PARENT-LED PROJECT
Duc d'Anville Elementary got a new sign over the summer to replace the wooden one that was falling apart. The sign has brightened up the main entrance and will help the school get messages out to families and the community. I'd like to thank Anne Martin and the School Advisory Committee for making all the arrangements for the sign. As anyone knows who's done a renovation, even small projects can be complicated, and getting a big sign installed on a steep hill required a bit of creative engineering. I was pleased to support this project through my district capital fund and welcome similar requests from other schools.
PLAN FOR BACK TO SCHOOL - SEPTEMBER 7
Primary to Grade 12 students in HRM head back to school on Thursday September 7. In our district many of the schools are serving more students than they were originally built for. Over the summer, Fairview Junior High has added two portables, and Halifax West added multiple modular classrooms.
With more students at the same schools it will mean more people funnelling into the same narrow streets for school drop off and pick up. The chaos can be avoided, or at least reduced. If your student is going to a new school or has a new routine, please consider checking out your route to school in advance of September 7. If you can walk to school, please walk. If you must drive, search out alternatives to parking at the front of the school. Often the streets at the back of the schools or a block or two away are less congested.
The schools in Fairview, Clayton Park and Rockingham were designed in the 1950s and 60's and it was assumed that students would be walking. There is not enough space around these schools for hundreds of extra cars to park. If you have to drive because of distance, please check out the school zone parking areas in advance of September 7. Most schools have parking restrictions around the main entrances and around crosswalks. These are not optional parking restrictions. The No Stopping and No Parking signs mean No Stopping and No Parking.
As councillor I hear lots of complaints about the congestion around our schools. I can't reduce the size of the school populations. I can't make the streets bigger. But I can share information and ask residents to try to manage the situation in different ways, such as walking if possible or parking further away from the school if necessary. Drop off and pickup times can unfortunately become flashpoints for some people. I have heard of parents getting into screaming matches over parking and it can get physical. HRM by-law enforcement and Halifax Regional Police will be at the schools over the next few weeks to keep the peace.
COUNCILLOR KATHRYN MORSE
DISTRICT 10
HALIFAX – BEDFORD BASIN WEST
(FAIRVIEW, CLAYTON PARK AND ROCKINGHAM)
KATHRYN.MORSE@HALIFAX.CA
Happy to see the new Duc sign! Looks great!
Great addition and good to see
So happy to see the new sign at Duc ‘d Anville!
Good post about drop off and pick up. Some very good points. Funny story: I tried to get my daughter into a school that is closer to us: literally right across the street from us. But because of how the district lines are drawn instead I have to drive her 15 mins to Fairview and be one of those many who have to drive and try to do a chaotic and dangerous drop off dance. The school closest to us is too crowded. So is the school we’re already in. Make it make sense!
Kathryn Morse Councillor District 10 Halifax-Bedford Basin West my daughter will be starting pre-primary this year. Is there Accessible parking for care givers during drop off and pick up times?
LIBRARY REOPENS; COUNCIL TO DISCUSS WILDFIRE PROTECTION; HRM’S CLIMATE ACTIONS UPDATE; REGISTER FOR FALL REC PROGRAMS
RENOVATION IN FINAL PHASE
Keshen Goodman Library has partially reopened after being closed for two weeks over the summer. The addition to the building is nearly complete and the library renovation is now in its final phase. Every effort has been made to keep Keshen Goodman functioning during this renovation. A section of the library between the main door and the rear door remains open while the rest of the library has been closed off and stripped of shelves, books and furniture. The interior will be renovated over the next few months to add a soundproof area for computer games and an updated children’s section.
In the meantime, Keshen Goodman is open for “holds” pick up and computer use. Free WIFI continues to be available at all hours. Librarians are in the building to help students with projects and printing, but space is limited. It’s expected the Thomas Raddall Room will be reopening in late September or October and will be available once again for Seniors Coffee Corner, Parent and Baby, and other programs.
Keshen Goodman is one of the most popular and well-used libraries in HRM. With the population growth in Fairview, Clayton Park and Rockingham over the last few years, this renovation was really needed. The fully revamped library is expected to open early in 2024.
www.halifaxpubliclibraries.ca/news/keshen-goodman-public-library-to-re-open-with-limited-service/
FOREST FIRE PROTECTION
At the Regional Council meeting next Tuesday we will be discussing next steps in protecting HRM residents against future forest fires. The wildfires in May were unprecedented. They were caused by human error and fueled by extremely dry conditions after an almost snow-less winter and almost rain-less spring. Our climate is changing, and will continue to change, and in a city surrounded by forests we need to prepare. This starts with detailed wildfire risk assessments and wildfire plans on the part of the municipality and residents. For more on what you can do:
firesmartcanada.ca/homeowners/protect-your-home/
For more on this council item:
cdn.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/regional-council/230822rc1583_0.pdf
HRM CLIMATE UPDATE
It’s been a difficult summer. First the horror of the wildfires and then the horror of the floods. Until this year, these were the kinds of extreme weather events that happened somewhere else. Both weather events are related to climate change to one degree or another. HRM was the second municipality in Canada (after Vancouver) to declare a climate emergency in 2019, and Regional Council has been taking steps ever since to become better prepared. Climate is considered in decisions across city departments, whether it’s electrifying our buses, retrofitting municipal buildings, cooling the city through treeplanting or developing more climate-resilient infrastructure. For more:
www.halifax.ca/about-halifax/energy-environment/halifact-2050-acting-climate-together/halifact-co...
FALL RECREATION REGISTRATION OPEN
Registration for HRM'S fall recreation programs opened this week, as well as Canada Games Centre recreation programs. Here are the links:
www.halifax.ca/parks-recreation/programs-activities/program-registration
canadagamescentre.ca/about-us/online-registration-services/
COUNCILLOR KATHRYN MORSE
DISTRICT 10
HALIFAX – BEDFORD BASIN WEST
(FAIRVIEW, CLAYTON PARK AND ROCKINGHAM)
KATHRYN.MORSE@HALIFAX.CA
You should have sound proofed the children's section and the rest of the library would have been a restful place to be, just my opinion so DON'T jump on me!