Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF)

About Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF)

Overview of HAF Program

In spring 2023, the Government of Canada launched the Housing Accelerator Fund to support local governments in creating transformational changes to boost housing supply.

The Town of Yarmouth has received $2.3 million to implement its Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) Action Plan. With this investment, the Town aims to achieve a Housing Supply Growth Target of 119 net new residential units over the next three years.

To ensure the success of this ambitious goal, the Town has developed a comprehensive HAF Housing Action Plan, featuring five strategic initiatives designed to drive housing development

Initiative 1: Create a Surplus Lands Program for Affordable Housing

The Town of Yarmouth has been working with non-profit housing providers to provide surplus Town lands for projects that have an affordable housing component. This program will use funding to refine and formalize the existing process by identifying priority sites and making the sites ‘shovel-ready’. Program components include identifying, prioritizing, and advertising a list of potential sites, creating policy and protocol on the disposal of Town owned lands for affordable housing, and pre-zoning the sites to allow multi-residential uses.

This initiative would accelerate:

• More supply of housing
• Support affordable, inclusive, equitable and diverse communities
• Support complete and walkable communities with diverse land uses and access to amenities.

Initiative 2: Develop a Parking Management Strategy

Minimum parking requirements for residential development can pose a significant constraint, particularly for in-fill projects in older areas of Town which traditionally have smaller lots. Meanwhile, on-street parking space in residential areas often goes underutilized, as do available public and private parking lots within the downtown or commercial nodes. Reducing or eliminating parking requirements can optimize the use of available land for housing or supportive uses but can face significant community opposition. This initiative will focus on developing a parking management strategy to support reduced or eliminate parking minimums for residential infill development which considers residential permitting systems, optimization, demand management strategies, and winter road maintenance activities. This initiative will be critical in supporting other initiatives including accessory dwelling units, conversion of office space, affordable housing, and conversion of existing single dwellings into multi-dwelling units.

Initiative 3: Regulatory Changes to Support Housing

The Town has identified a number of current zoning regulations that impede approvals of new housing at all scales. These include restrictive zoning, the frequent use of development agreements (i.e. “discretionary” approvals), large minimum lot sizes, restrictions on residential facilities (care homes, assisted living, etc.), and unclear permission for accessory dwelling units.

This initiative would lead to the amendment of the Town’s Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use Bylaw to support additional housing through approaches such as:

• as-of-right permission to enable a broader spectrum of housing (single, semi-detached, town houses, etc.) in all residential zones;
• a reduction in the use of development agreements for larger residential developments by replacing them with clear, as-of-right, form-based regulations;
• a reduction or elimination of parking requirements for residential uses to ensure they do not act as barriers to affordability;
• a reduction in minimum lot sizes to encourage infill development and reduce costs for greenfield development;
• an increase in as-of-right residential building height and density near large education and employment centres (Yarmouth Hospital, Nova Scotia Community College Burridge Campus, etc.);
• an expansion of the zones in which residential facilities are permitted; and
• clarification of existing regulations for secondary suites and tiny homes to better enable their adoption within the Town.

A greater focus on as-of-right residential development is expected to reduce approval times and risk (perceived or real) for residential developers, while reducing parking requirements and lots sizes and increasing permitted heights is expected to reduce the per-unit cost of development.

Initiative 4: Create a Priority Approvals Stream for Housing Projects

This initiative focuses on optimizing and prioritizing the housing development approval process within the town. The goal is to streamline procedures, reduce delays, and prioritize housing projects—both affordable and market-rate—to support the town’s growth and development needs effectively.

This initiative would:

• Accelerate housing approvals by implementing strategies to reduce the time required for reviews of new housing development proposals ,.
• Enhance transparency and communication by improving the clarity and consistency of information provided to developers and stakeholders throughout the approval process.
• Increase efficiency, optimize workflows, and integrate technology to simplify and expedite the approval process.
• Development of an approvals framework that would prioritize key housing projects based on their strategic importance, such as affordability, location, and commitment to incorporating climate mitigation and adaptation measures.

Initiative 5: Development Incentives Program

The Town is committed to fostering community development and attracting investments through the implementation of a robust Development Incentives Program. By offering strategically selected benefits and advantages, this program aims to:

• stimulate developers of affordable housing and enhance project feasibility with financial support or reduced regulatory burdens to undertake projects they might otherwise avoid due to high costs or perceived risks;
• foster community benefit with incentives tied to community-focused goals, such as affordable housing, public spaces, or infrastructure improvements and climate resilience;
• address specific housing needs within the town, such as affordable housing or mixed-use developments;
• attract investors and developers from outside the area;
• actively promote the Developer Incentives Program to developers, showcasing its potential to mitigate risks, maximize benefits, and establish the Town as an attractive and welcoming destination for development projects.