Halifax Council held a three hour virtual public hearing on a proposal to allow allow basement apartments and backyard suites for single-family homes, townhouses and duplexes across the municipality. Stella Lord spoke on behalf of the Community Society to End Poverty, pushing back on expectations that the changes will provide substantial amounts of new affordable housing, while suggesting some more effective approaches.

This afternoon some 30 tenants of 6 Nivens Avenue and their sympathizers rallied in front of the North Dartmouth building to bring attention to its state of disrepair. They also have safety concerns and are upset about a substantial rent increase received by one of the tenants that they believe are in retaliation for lodging complaints with the city.

New development tends to start with the tearing down of existing buildings. I spoke with Peggy Cameron about the city’s problematic demolition approvals, their impact on climate change and affordable housing, and the reluctance of city councillors to make things better.