‘It’s Time To Put Aside Ego’: Halifax Mayor Pledges To Work With Province On Housing
HALIFAX—MAYOR MIKE SAVAGE SAYS THE HALIFAX REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY MUST WORK WITH THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT TO ADDRESS THE HOUSING CRISIS PLAGUING THE CITY. HE ALSO SAYS HIS FEELINGS HAVE CHANGED ABOUT A PROVINCIAL TASK FORCE CONTROLLING SOME DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY.
The mayor made the comments during his state of the municipality address on April 28. The event was hosted by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce and gave the mayor a platform to reflect on the progress Halifax has made over the past year.
Savage’s speech highlighted the impressive economic growth Halifax has achieved over the past few years. However, the mayor couldn’t ignore what many see as the most pressing issue facing the city.
New Outlook On Housing Task Force
Halifax’s rapidly rising population has put extreme pressure on both renters and prospective homebuyers as the supply of available housing is increasingly squeezed.
To help address the crisis, the province created a task force to help speed up development in Halifax. In just a few months the task force has already taken over approval power for nearly 23,000 new rental units.
When the task force was first announced, Savage was against it. He said it was unnecessary because sound municipal policies were enough to deal with housing challenges.
During his address on April 28, the mayor changed his tune. …[Read More]