BILL NO. 181
(as introduced)
1st Session, 65th General Assembly
Nova Scotia
4 Charles III, 2025
Private Member's Public Bill
Affordable Housing Accountability Act
Suzy Hansen
Halifax Needham
First Reading: October 3, 2025
Second Reading:
Third Reading:
An Act Respecting
Affordable Housing Accountability
Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:
1 This Act may be cited as the Affordable Housing Accountability Act.
2 The purpose of this Act is to
(a) set legally-binding housing-related targets for the Province in the reduction of core housing need and the expansion of housing supply; and
(b) establish a framework for planning, reporting and accountability to ensure progress toward these targets is achieved in a transparent and evidence-based manner.
"core housing need" means a household that is
(a) spending more than 30% of its gross income on housing; and
(b) living in housing that does not meet adequacy, suitability or affordability standards, as defined by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation;
"home-buying affordability ratio" means the average house price-to-average gross household income ratio, with an adjustment factor to account for interest rates and monthly homeowner expenses, as developed by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation;
"homelessness" means the condition of lacking stable, safe and adequate housing, and includes being unsheltered, emergency sheltered, provisionally accommodated or at risk of homelessness;
"Minister" means the Minister of Growth and Development;
"Officer" means the Independent Housing Officer appointed under Section 12;
"public housing" means housing, owned and managed by the Crown in right of the Province or its agents, rented at below-market rates to eligible households.
4 This Act binds the Crown in right of the Province.
5 (1) The Government shall, no later than December 31, 2035, reduce the level of core housing need in the Province by 50% relative to the 2025 level by
(a) constructing sufficient public housing units to reduce or eliminate the Province's public housing waiting list;
(b) expanding the availability of other non-market housing options;
(c) increasing the provision of housing benefits or other income assistance programs to reduce household housing costs to below 30% of gross household income; and
(d) preventing the loss of existing below-market rental units by increasing the security of housing tenure and expanding the Community Housing Acquisition Program.
(2) For the purpose of subsection (1), the Minister shall publish, in a manner that coincides with the release of the Canadian Housing Survey by Statistics Canada, interim targets in 2026 and every two years thereafter.
6 (1) The Government shall, upon the coming into force of this Act, set an initial housing supply target of 12,500 housing starts in the Province per year.
(2) The Minister shall revise the target in subsection (1) each year.
(3) Revised targets under subsection (2) must
(a) be an estimate of the annual housing starts required each year to achieve a Provincial average target of a 30% home-buying affordability ratio by December 31, 2035;
(b) use methodology that is substantially similar to the methodology used in the 2023 Provincial Housing Needs Assessment Report or the 2025 Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation report, Canada's Housing Supply Shortages: Moving to a New Framework;
(c) use methodology and data sources that are public and transparent;
(d) be evidence based, including through adjustments being based on population growth trends relative to housing supply; and
(e) be published in the report required under Section 8.
7 (1) The Minister shall, within one year of the coming into force of this Act, establish a standardized data-collection system for counting the number of people experiencing homelessness in the Province, including those who are unsheltered, emergency sheltered, provisionally accommodated or at risk of homelessness.
(2) The data-collection system under subsection (1) must
(a) include regular and consistent point-in-time counts across all municipalities in the Province;
(b) align with national and international best practices;
(c) include data on demographics, the duration of homelessness and housing needs;
(d) be used to inform the report required under Section 8; and
(e) use methodology that is public and transparent.
8 (1) The Minister shall, no later than March 31st of each year beginning in 2026, publish and table in the House of Assembly a report entitled the Annual Housing Needs Assessment Report.
(2) The report required under subsection (1) must include
(a) progress achieved toward each target under Sections 5 and 6;
(b) any revised targets with justifications for the revised targets;
(c) updated estimates of housing needs by region in the Province and income group;
(d) policy and investment actions being taken to achieve targets; and
(e) risks and barriers to achieving targets.
9 The Minister shall, in 2027 and every two years thereafter, publish and table in the House of Assembly an interim progress report that includes
(a) a comparative analysis of progress achieved toward each target under Sections 5 and 6 and any interim targets;
(b) an assessment of the effectiveness of policy and investment actions being taken to achieve targets;
(c) an identification of relevant delays or policy gaps; and
(d) any corrective actions or course adjustments required to maintain progress toward achieving targets.
10 (1) The targets under Sections 5 and 6 are binding policy commitments of the Government.
(2) All affected Government departments and agencies shall comply with the requirements of this Act and integrate them into relevant planning processes.
(3) The Government shall implement programs, policies and investments reasonably necessary to achieve the targets under Sections 5 and 6.
(4) A failure to achieve a target under Sections 5 and 6 does not give rise to a cause of action against the Crown in right of the Province, but such failure triggers Ministerial obligations under subsection (5).
(5) Where the Minister determines that a target under Sections 5 and 6 is unlikely to be achieved on schedule, the Minister shall
(a) table a written explanation in the House of Assembly within 90 days;
(b) identify the causes of the failure or delay; and
(c) publish a revised implementation strategy, including corrective actions.
11 The Minister may enter into data collection or data sharing agreements with Statistics Canada to carry out the purpose of this Act.
12 (1) The Governor in Council shall, on the recommendation of the House of Assembly following a resolution supported by a majority of the members of the House of Assembly, appoint a person to be the Independent Housing Officer.
(2) The Officer is an independent officer of the House of Assembly and shall carry out duties and exercise powers under this Act independently of any member of the Executive Council or any Government department or agency.
(3) The Officer holds office for a term of five years that is renewable once.
(4) The Officer may only be removed for cause by a resolution supported by a majority of the members of the House of Assembly.
(5) The Officer must, in a manner determined by the House of Assembly Management Commission, be remunerated and have staffing and financial resources sufficient to fulfill the Officer's mandate.
(a) monitor and assess the implementation of this Act and the achievement of the targets under Sections 5 and 6;
(b) review and report on the credibility, completeness and integrity of each report required under Sections 8 and 9;
(c) provide independent analysis and advice to the House of Assembly and the public on housing policy outcomes, Provincial housing plans and programs and long-term housing projections;
(d) identify risks, delays or policy gaps that could impede the achievement of legislated housing targets and goals;
(e) support public transparency and evidence-based policy making through the publication of reports and engagement with stakeholders; and
(f) make recommendations for improving data quality, target-setting methodologies or Provincial housing plans and programs.
14 In carrying out the Officer's mandate, the Officer may
(a) access any record, data or information held by a Government department or agency or Crown corporation that is necessary to carry out the Officer's duties under this Act, subject to limitations regarding privacy;
(b) require a Government department or agency or Crown corporation to provide written responses to findings or recommendations within 60 days;
(c) commission research, surveys or expert reviews;
(d) consult with municipalities, Indigenous communities, non-profit housing providers, housing developers and academic experts;
(e) conduct public engagement and invite submissions from stakeholders or the public; and
(f) refer matters of non-compliance to the Auditor General or other officers of the House of Assembly.
15 The Officer may appear before any committee of the House of Assembly upon request to discuss any relevant findings or recommendations.
16 (1) The Officer shall, in 2028 and every three years thereafter, publish and table in the House of Assembly a report entitled the Housing Accountability Report.
(2) The report required under subsection (1) must include
(a) an assessment of whether the Government is on track to meet the targets under Sections 5 and 6;
(b) an evaluation of the credibility, completeness and integrity of each report required under Sections 8 and 9;
(c) identified areas of concern, risks or missed opportunities; and
(d) recommendations for corrective actions.
(3) The Officer may, at any time on the Officer's own volition or at the request of a committee of the House of Assembly, publish and submit to the House of Assembly special reports in addition to the report required under subsection (1), which must be tabled in the House.
17 The Officer shall coordinate, where appropriate, with the Auditor General, the Privacy Review Officer and other oversight bodies to ensure alignment and reduce duplication.
18 This Act has effect on and after January 1, 2026.
This page and its contents published by the Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly, and © 2025 Crown in right of Nova Scotia. Created October 3, 2025. Send comments to legc.office@novascotia.ca.
