BILL NO. 489
(as introduced)
1st Session, 64th General Assembly
Nova Scotia
3 Charles III, 2024
Private Member's Bill
Affordable Housing Programs Act
Suzy Hansen
Halifax Needham
First Reading: September 17, 2024
Second Reading:
Third Reading:
An Act Respecting
Affordable Housing Programs
Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:
1 This Act may be cited as the Affordable Housing Programs Act.
"affordable housing" means housing that costs no more than 30% of a household's before-tax income as determined using the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's rent-geared-to-income definition;
"guidelines" means the guidelines developed under Section 3;
"Minister" means the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing;
"program" means any program administered or funded by the Government for the purpose of acquiring, building or funding affordable housing and includes
(a) the Community Housing Acquisition Program;
(b) the Land for Housing Program;
(c) the Affordable Housing Development Program; and
3 (1) The Minister shall develop guidelines for the evaluation of programs on a points-based system.
(2) The guidelines must include
(a) that a minimum of 30% of units in any project under the program be affordable housing, with a bonus for projects in which 50% or more of units are affordable housing;
(b) that units that are affordable housing remain affordable housing for a minimum period of 25 years, with scaling bonuses for projects that require housing remain affordable for longer periods of time than 25 years;
(c) a bonus for non-profit housing developers; and
(d) such other requirements, criteria and bonuses as may be prescribed in the regulations.
(3) The Minister shall use the points calculated under the guidelines when determining the funding of programs.
(4) The Minister shall only fund programs that achieve the minimum requirements set out in subsection (2) and any minimum requirements or points prescribed by the regulations.
4 (1) The Governor in Council may make regulations
(a) further defining affordable housing;
(c) respecting guidelines including
- (i) prescribing additional criteria,
(ii) determining the calculation of points, including bonuses,
(iii) setting minimum requirements,
(iv) prescribing a minimum number of points that programs must reach, and
(v) prescribing how points must be used in determining the funding of programs.
(2) The exercise by the Governor in Council of the authority contained in subsection (1) is a regulation within the meaning of the Regulations Act.
This page and its contents published by the Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly, and © 2024 Crown in right of Nova Scotia. Created September 17, 2024. Send comments to legc.office@novascotia.ca.
