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134-485: The Africville Apology was a formal pronouncement delivered on 24 February 2010 by the City of Halifax, Nova Scotia for the eviction and eventual destruction of Africville , a Black Nova Scotian community. During the 1940s and 1950s in different parts of Canada, the federal, provincial and municipal governments were working together to take communities labelled "slums" and relocate the people to better housing. The intent

268-404: A humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfb ), with warm summers and relatively mild winters, which is due to Gulf Stream moderation. The weather is usually milder in the winter or cooler in the summer than areas at similar latitudes inland, with the temperature remaining (with occasional notable exceptions) between about −8 and 28 °C (18 and 82 °F). January is the coldest month, being

402-469: A 20% rule in the 1950s. In the 1980s this was replaced by a 30% rule. India uses a 40% rule. Some ways to achieve these ratios are to live with roommates and split rent or to have a cheap lease-by-room agreement. Using this model, for example, researchers determine that in 2022, about half of renters in the United States paid less than 30% of their monthly income on rent and utilities, and about

536-526: A 2022 study, LIHTC projects in the United States increase land value in surrounding neighborhoods. Policy makers at all levels – global, national, regional, municipal, community associations – are attempting to respond to the issue of affordable housing, a highly complex crisis of global proportions, with a myriad of policy instruments. These responses range from stop-gap financing tools to long-term intergovernmental infrastructural changes. There has been an increase among policy makers in affordable housing as

670-605: A bill in the provincial legislature called the Africville Act . The bill calls for a formal apology from the Nova Scotia Government; a series of public hearings on the destruction of Africville; and the establishment of a development fund towards the historical preservation of Africville lands and towards social development in benefit of former residents and their descendants. Halifax mayor Peter Kelly has offered land, money, and various other services for

804-462: A combined population of 100 million. Rapid population growth leads to increased need for affordable housing in many cities. The availability of affordable housing in proximity of mass transit and linked to job distribution has become severely imbalanced in this period of rapid regional urbanization and growing density convergence. Housing affordability is more than just a personal trouble experienced by individual households who cannot easily find

938-630: A concentration of government offices and private companies. Major employers include the Department of National Defence , Dalhousie University , Nova Scotia Health Authority , Saint Mary's University , the Halifax Shipyard , various levels of government, and the Port of Halifax . Resource industries found in rural areas of the municipality include agriculture, fishing, mining, forestry, and natural gas extraction. The Mi'kmaq name for Halifax

1072-566: A disproportionate distribution of benefits to certain economic groups. Research has found that cities are more likely to have zoning restrictions, which effectively limits the expansion of affordable housing units in these areas. These zoning restrictions increase in housing prices, forcing the housing developers who create subsidized housing to look towards other options. Zoning restrictions drive low-income families to live in neighborhoods with reduced opportunities, restricting access to metropolitan economies. These patterns of zoning ultimately force

1206-492: A furniture allowance, social assistance, and public housing units. Young families would make enough money to begin a new life, but most of the elderly residents would not budge as they had much more of an emotional connection to their homes. Though filled with grief and feeling cheated out of their property, resistance to eviction became harder as more people accepted and homes disappeared. The city quickly demolished each house as soon as residents moved out. The church at Africville

1340-511: A lack of affordable housing places local firms at a competitive disadvantage. They are placed under wage pressures as they attempt to decrease the income/housing price gap. Key workers have fewer housing choices if prices rise to non-affordable levels. Variations in affordability of housing between areas may create labour market impediments. Potential workers are discouraged from moving to employment in areas of less affordability. They are also discouraged from migrating to areas of high affordability as

1474-515: A larger supply of homeless shelters." Since a larger shelter supply entails a higher shelter quality, people who otherwise wouldn't be homeless are found living in shelters because they provide a better alternative. This results in a decrease in the demand for housing and an increase in homelessness. The fourth and final cause of homelessness is a higher prevalence of individual-level risk factors. These factors include mental health, substance abuse, incarceration, poverty, and social ties. "According to

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1608-474: A median-priced existing single-family home. An increase in the HAI shows that this family is more able to afford the median-priced home. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed a housing affordability index that attempts to capture the total cost of housing by several factors include employment accessibility, amenities, transportation costs and transit access, quality of schools, etc. In computing

1742-415: A mortgage loan on a typical home. This index calculates affordability based on the national median-priced single family home, the typical family median income, and the prevailing mortgage interest rate to determine if the median income family can qualify for a mortgage on a typical home. To interpret the indices, a value of 100 means that a family with the median income has exactly enough income to qualify for

1876-402: A mortgage on a median-priced home. An index over 100 signifies that family earning the median income has more than enough income for a mortgage loan on the median-priced home (assuming they have a 20 percent down payment). For example, a composite HAI of 120.0 means a family earning the median family income has 120% of the income necessary to qualify for a conventional loan covering 80 percent of

2010-441: A number of radio and television programs are made in the region for national broadcast. In 2020, filming began on the series Pub Crawl, which explores the historically significant bars of Halifax. The new Halifax Central Library on Spring Garden Road has received accolades for its architecture and has been described as a new cultural locus, offering many community facilities including a 300-seat auditorium. Halifax's urban core

2144-466: A particular burden on local economies. As well, individual consumers are faced with mortgage arrears and excessive debt and therefore cut back on consumption. A combination of high housing costs and high debt levels contributes to a reduction in savings. These factors can lead to decreased investment in sectors that are essential to the long-term growth of the economy. The geographic distribution of affordable housing and its respective restrictions provides

2278-525: A permanent exhibit on display at Nova Scotia's Black Cultural Centre in Preston . In 2001, a United Nations report called for reparations to be paid to the community of Africville . Numerous musicians have commemorated the story of Africville, in part, to pressure governments to provide redress. There are various film and theatre productions made to commemorate the plight of Africville. In May 2005, MLA Maureen MacDonald ( Nova Scotia NDP ) introduced

2412-601: A place to live. Lack of affordable housing is considered by many urban planners to have negative effects on a community's overall health. Lack of affordable housing can make low-cost labor more scarce, and increase demands on transportation systems (as workers travel longer distances between jobs and affordable housing). "Faced with few affordable options, many people attempt to find less expensive housing by buying or renting farther out from their place of employment, but long commutes often result in higher transportation costs that erase any savings on shelter." This has been called

2546-498: A public health issue. In a 2013 survey, a lack of affordable housing was the number one in the list of causes of homelessness among families with children and unaccompanied individuals. Studies through the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry have shown that access to rapid permanent housing with treatment, rehabilitation, and support services have led to a decrease in shelter and emergency department costs. Affordable Housing

2680-430: A quarter paid between 30% and 50%, and about a quarter paid more than 50%. There are several types of housing affordability indexes that take a number of factors, not just income, into account when measuring housing affordability. The American National Association of Realtors and other groups measure market housing through a housing affordability index which measures whether or not a typical family could qualify for

2814-720: A replica of the Seaview African United Baptist Church . After the offer was originally made in 2002, the Africville Genealogy Society requested some alterations to the Halifax offer, including additional land and the possibility of building affordable housing near the site. The Africville site was declared a national historic site in 2002. In February 2010, Halifax Council ratified the Africville Apology, and

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2948-542: A result of being evicted from slums. Since slum residents don't own a title or lease to property, they are often evicted from their home by someone with a claim to the land and left without one. The same principle is applied in the United States as people who are unable to afford their mortgage or rent are evicted and left homeless. In September 2019, the Council of Economic Advisers from the Executive Office of

3082-416: A scenic wilderness in close proximity to the urban communities. Halifax's tourism industry showcases Nova Scotia's culture, scenery and coastline. There are several museums and art galleries in downtown Halifax. The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 , an immigrant entry point prominent throughout the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, was opened to the public as a National Historic Site of Canada in 1999 and

3216-608: A sloop of war on June 21, 1749. By unilaterally establishing Halifax, the British were violating earlier treaties with the Mi'kmaq (1726), which were signed after Father Rale's War . Cornwallis brought along 1,176 settlers and their families. To guard against Mi'kmaq, Acadian and French attacks on the new Protestant settlements, British fortifications were erected in Halifax (Citadel Hill) (1749), Bedford ( Fort Sackville ) (1749), Dartmouth (1750), and Lawrencetown (1754), all areas within

3350-726: A wide array of world cuisines. There are also more than 60 sidewalk cafes that open in the summer months. The nightlife is made up of bars and small music venues as well as Casino Nova Scotia , a large facility built partially over the water. Cruise ships visit the province frequently. In 2015, the Port of Halifax welcomed 141 vessel calls with 222,309 passengers. Halifax is the Atlantic region's central point for radio broadcast and press media. CBC Television , CTV Television Network (CTV), and Global Television Network and other broadcasters all have important regional television concentrators in

3484-688: Is Kjipuktuk , pronounced "che-book-took". The name means "Great Harbour" in the Mi'kmaq language . The first permanent European settlement in the region was on the Halifax Peninsula . The establishment of the Town of Halifax , named after the 2nd Earl of Halifax , in 1749 led to the colonial capital being transferred from Annapolis Royal . The establishment of Halifax marked the beginning of Father Le Loutre's War . The war began when Edward Cornwallis arrived to establish Halifax with 13 transports and

3618-476: Is a major cultural centre within the Atlantic provinces . The municipality has maintained many of its maritime and military traditions, while opening itself to a growing multicultural population. The municipality's urban core also benefits from a large population of post-secondary students who strongly influence the local cultural scene. Halifax has a number of art galleries, theatres and museums, as well as most of

3752-433: Is a popular site for concerts, political demonstrations, as well as the annual Remembrance Day ceremony at the central cenotaph . Another popular downtown public space is the timber Halifax Boardwalk , which stretches approximately 3 km (1.9 mi) and is integrated with several squares and monuments. The Halifax Common , granted for the use of citizens in 1763, is Canada's oldest public park. Centrally located on

3886-461: Is a response to a complex set of economic, social, and psychological impulses. For example, some households may choose to spend more on housing because they feel they can afford to, while others may not have a choice. There are several means of defining and measuring affordable housing. The definition and measurement may change in different nations, cities, or for specific policy goals. The definition of affordable housing may change depending on

4020-853: Is a strong connection to those who are. The Federal Government provides funding to communities to support homeless assistance programs. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the largest source of Federal funds, providing $ 2.6 billion combined via the Continuum of Care (CoC) program and Emergency Solution Grant program alone in 2019. These two programs support competitive funding to communities for homeless outreach, emergency shelter, transitional housing, rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing and homelessness prevention. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides $ 1.8 billion for programs that serve homeless veterans, in addition to funding from HUD targeted specifically to homeless veterans. Other smaller sources of funding include

4154-573: Is affordable for low and middle income earners, has increased, the supply has not. YIMBYs argue building more housing makes housing more affordable. Potential home buyers are forced to turn to the rental market, which is also under pressure. An inadequate supply of affordable housing stock increases demand on the private and social rented sector, and in worse case scenarios, results in increased homelessness rates. Homelessness rates are correlated with higher rents, especially in areas where rent exceeds 30% of an area's median income. In Australia,

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4288-525: Is affordable may be used, instead of building new structures. This is called "Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing", or NOAH. In a housing cooperative people join on a democratic basis to own or manage the housing facility in which they live. Generally these housing units are owned and controlled collectively by a corporation which is owned and controlled jointly by a group of individuals who have equal shares in that corporation. In market rate cooperatives owners can accumulate equity and sell their share of

4422-511: Is also the greatest source of wealth. Another method of studying affordability looks at the regular hourly wage of full-time workers who are paid only the minimum wage (as set by their local, regional, or national government). This methods attempts to determine if workers at that income can afford adequate housing. Measuring affordable housing is tricky. Different organizations look at different things: some at buying homes, others at renting apartments. Many U.S. studies, for example, only consider

4556-403: Is complex and the commonly used housing-expenditure-to-income-ratio tool has been challenged. In the United States and Canada, a commonly accepted guideline for housing affordability is a housing cost, including utilities, that does not exceed 30% of a household's gross income . Some definitions include maintenance costs as part of housing costs. Canada, for example, switched to a 25% rule from

4690-443: Is creating disaster-resistant affordable housing units to reduce the impact of climate change-related natural disasters. This method includes using weather-resistant housing materials and placing affordable housing units in disaster-resistant geographical locations. Another method is creating new standards for affordable housing developments such as energy efficiency and location efficiency. A study by Albert Chan and Michael Adabre on

4824-471: Is found to reduce the likelihood that a family will be forced to move due to financial challenges such as eviction, foreclosure, or rent increase. A study focusing on the effects of foreclosure on student academic performance within the Boston public school system, found a relationship that suggests foreclosures have a small negative association with individual students' test score and attendance, controlling for

4958-642: Is heavy in winter, but snow cover is usually patchy owing to the frequent freeze-thaw cycles, which melt accumulated snow. Some winters feature colder temperatures and fewer freeze-thaw cycles; the most recent of which being the winter of 2014–2015, which was the coldest, snowiest and stormiest in about a century. Spring is often wet and cool and arrives much later than in areas of Canada at similar latitudes, due to cooler sea temperatures. Summers are mild and pleasant, with hot and humid conditions very infrequent. Warm, pleasant conditions often extend well into September, sometimes into mid-October. Average monthly precipitation

5092-550: Is highest from November to February due to intense late-fall to winter storms migrating from the Northeastern U.S., and lowest in summer, with August being the year's warmest and driest month on average. Halifax can sometimes receive hurricanes, mostly between August and October. An example is when Hurricane Juan , a category 2 storm, hit in September 2003 and caused considerable damage to the region. Hurricane Earl grazed

5226-497: Is home to a number of regional landmark buildings and retains significant historic buildings and districts. Downtown office towers are overlooked by the fortress of Citadel Hill with its iconic Halifax Town Clock . The architecture of Halifax's South End is renowned for its grand Victorian houses while the West End and North End, Halifax have many blocks of well-preserved wooden residential houses with notable features such as

5360-564: Is housed in a 150-year-old building containing nearly 19,000 works of art. The Black Cultural Centre for Nova Scotia in Dartmouth reflects the region's rich ethnic heritage. Halifax has numerous National Historic Sites , most notably Citadel Hill (Fort George) . Just outside the urban area, the iconic Peggys Cove is internationally recognized and receives more than 600,000 visitors a year. The waterfront in Downtown Halifax

5494-918: Is represented by three professional sports teams, with teams in the National Lacrosse League (NLL), the Canadian Premier League (CPL), and the newest league, the Northern Super League (NSL), a planned Division I professional women's soccer league in Canada. Also, Halifax has a semi-professional sports team in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), which is part of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Affordable housing Housing choice

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5628-442: Is the only national museum in the Atlantic provinces. The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a maritime museum containing extensive galleries including a large exhibit on the famous Titanic , over 70 small craft and a 200-foot (61 m) steamship CSS  Acadia . In summertime the preserved World War II corvette HMCS  Sackville operates as a museum ship and Canada's naval memorial. The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia

5762-481: Is the primary factor – not price and availability, that determines housing affordability. In a market economy the distribution of income is the key determinant of the quantity and quality of housing obtained. Therefore, understanding affordable housing challenges requires understanding trends and disparities in income and wealth . Housing is often the single biggest expenditure of low and middle income families. For low and middle income families, their house

5896-546: Is the site of the Halifax Harbourwalk , a 3-kilometre (2 mi) boardwalk popular among tourists and locals alike. Many mid-sized ships dock here at one of the many wharfs. The harbourwalk is home to a Halifax Transit ferry terminal, hundreds of stores, Historic Properties , several office buildings, the Casino Nova Scotia , and several public squares where buskers perform, most prominently at

6030-639: Is the supply of substitutes to housing through homeless shelters. "Some places, including New York City, the State of Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia – provide a legal “right to shelter" that promises shelter of some minimum level of quality". This means that regardless of occupancy, the shelter ensures a certain level of quality. "Thus, as long as the minimum shelter quality is set high enough (i.e., higher than equilibrium quality levels reached in other places), we would expect right-to-shelter places to have

6164-723: Is through public policy instruments that focus on the demand side of the market, programs that help households reach financial benchmarks that make housing affordable. This can include approaches that simply promote economic growth in general – in the hope that a stronger economy, higher employment rates, and higher wages will increase the ability of households to acquire housing at market prices. Federal government policies define banking and mortgage lending practices, tax and regulatory measures affecting building materials, professional practices (ex. real estate transactions). The purchasing power of individual households can be enhanced through tax and fiscal policies that result in reducing

6298-507: The 2016 Canadian Census and the 2021 Canadian Census . Before the 2021 Canadian Census , Metropolitan Halifax covered 549,631 hectares (5,496.31 square kilometres; 2,122.14 square miles) After the addition of the Municipality of East Hants , the metropolitan area's land area expanded by 177,991 hectares (1,779.91 km ) to its current land area. Halifax has two distinct areas: its rural area and its urban area. Since 1 April 1996,

6432-493: The Africville Genealogy Society . In light of the controversy surrounding the community, the City of Halifax created Seaview Memorial Park on the site in the 1980s, preserving it from development. Former Africville residents such as Eddie Carvery carried out periodic protests at the park throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 1989, a historic exhibit about Africville toured across Canada and evolved into

6566-617: The Canadian province of Nova Scotia , and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada . As of 2023, it is estimated that the population of the Halifax CMA was 518,711, with 348,634 people in its urban area . The regional municipality consists of four former municipalities that were amalgamated in 1996: Halifax , Dartmouth , Bedford , and Halifax County . Halifax is an economic centre of Atlantic Canada, home to

6700-650: The Government of Canada announced $ 250,000 for the Africville Heritage Trust to design a museum and build a replica of the community church. On 24 February, Halifax Mayor Peter Kelly made the Africville Apology as part of a $ 4.5-million compensation deal, officially apologizing for the eviction. Among other things, Kelly said, We apologize for the heartache experienced at the loss of the Seaview United Baptist Church,

6834-643: The Halifax Explosion , devastated the Richmond District in the North End of Halifax, killing approximately 2,000 people and injuring nearly 9,000 others. The blast was the largest artificial explosion before the development of nuclear weapons. Significant aid came from Boston , strengthening the bond between the two coastal cities . The four municipalities in the Halifax urban area had been coordinating delivery of some services through

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6968-608: The Halifax Harbour . This has resulted in some modern high rises being built at unusual angles or locations. The Halifax area has a variety of public spaces, ranging from urban gardens, public squares, expansive forested parks, and historic sites. The original grid plan devised when Halifax was founded in 1749 included a central military parade square, the Grand Parade . The square hosts the City Hall at one end, and

7102-754: The Halifax Pop Explosion , periodic Tall Ship events, the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo , and Shakespeare by the Sea—to name a few. Halifax Pride is the largest LGBT event in Atlantic Canada and one of the largest in the country. Many of Halifax's festivals and annual events have become world-renowned over the past several years. Halifax is home to many performance venues, namely the Music Room,

7236-682: The Halifax Transit ferry service. There are smaller performance venues at the Halifax Central Library , Citadel High School (Spatz Theatre), and Halifax West High School ( Bella Rose Arts Centre ). Halifax has also become a significant film production centre, with many American and Canadian filmmakers using the streetscapes, often to stand in for other cities that are more expensive to work in. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has its Atlantic Canada production centres (radio and television) based in Halifax, and quite

7370-627: The Musquodoboit Valley to rocky and heavily forested rolling hills. It includes a number of islands and peninsulas, among them McNabs Island , Beaver Island , Melville Island , Deadman's Island and Sable Island . The Halifax Regional Centre includes the Halifax Peninsula , and Dartmouth inside the Circumferential Highway. The new inner urban area covers 3,300 hectares (33 square kilometres; 13 square miles) and houses 96,619 people in 55,332 dwelling units as of

7504-607: The Neptune Theatre , and Rebecca Cohn Auditorium . The Neptune Theatre, a 43-year-old establishment located on Argyle Street, is Halifax's largest theatre. It performs an assortment of professionally produced plays year-round. The Shakespeare by the Sea theatre company performs at nearby Point Pleasant Park . Eastern Front Theatre performs at Alderney Landing in Downtown Dartmouth which can easily be accessed via

7638-661: The North British Society , as well as a fountain. In contrast to the urban parks, the expansive Point Pleasant Park at the southern tip of the peninsula is heavily forested and contains the remains of numerous British fortifications. Located on the opposite side of the harbour, the Dartmouth Commons is a large park next to Downtown Dartmouth laid out in the 1700s. It is home to the Leighton Dillman gardens and various sports grounds. Nearby,

7772-457: The amalgamation of Halifax in 1996 , and since its restructure as a municipality , the growth of Halifax has gradually increased. Many of the present day communities within the conurbation have morphed from being primarily rural in the recent past, to now primarily urban. With the demographic change and growth of many communities within urban Halifax, their function and role within the conurbation has changed. With this continuous growth, many of

7906-530: The "Halifax Porch". Dalhousie University 's campus is often featured in films and documentaries. Surrounding areas of the municipality, including Dartmouth and Bedford, also possess their share of historic neighbourhoods and properties. The urban core is home to several blocks of typical North American high-rise office buildings; however, segments of the downtown are governed by height restrictions, known as "view planes legislation", which prevent buildings from obstructing certain sight lines between Citadel Hill and

8040-484: The "drive 'til you qualify" approach, which causes far-flung development and forces people to drive longer distances to get to work, to get groceries, to take children to school, or to engage in other activities. A well located dwelling might save significant household travel costs and therefore improve overall family economics, even if the rent is higher than a dwelling in a poorer location. In both large metropolitan areas and regional towns where housing prices are high,

8174-662: The 1950s. At the municipal level, promoted policy tools include zoning permissions for diverse housing types or Missing Middle Housing types such as duplexes, cottages, rowhouses, fourplexes, and accessory dwelling units . Some municipalities have also reduced the amount of parking that must be built for a new structure to reduce land acquisition and construction costs. Other common strategies include reducing permitting costs and wait times for new housing, permitting small-lot development, multi-family tax exemptions, density bonuses, preserving existing affordable housing, and transit-oriented development. Existing housing that

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8308-530: The 2016 Census. The Regional Centre has many public services within its boundaries, and it hosts large entertainment venues ( Scotiabank Centre ), and major hospitals ( Dartmouth General Hospital , the QEII Health Sciences Centre , and IWK Health Centre ). Halifax is geographically large, and there are over 200 official communities and neighbourhoods within the municipality. They vary from rural to urban. The former town of Bedford , and

8442-457: The 2018 homeless point-in-time count, 111,122 homeless people (20 percent) had a severe mental illness and 86,647 homeless people (16 percent) suffered from chronic substance abuse. Among all adults who used shelter at some point in 2017, 44 percent had a disability." In addition, "people experiencing homelessness generally have low incomes and relatively weaker social ties." While the vast majority of people with these issues are not homeless, there

8576-477: The Africvillians with city dump trucks. This image forever stuck in the minds and hearts of people and indicated the degrading style in which these people were treated. There were many hardships, suspicion and jealousy that emerged, mostly due to complications of land and ownership claims. Only 14 residents held clear legal titles to their land. Those with no legal rights were given a $ 500 payment and promised

8710-435: The Dartmouth waterfront trail stretches from Downtown Dartmouth to Woodside. Among residents of central Dartmouth, the area around Sullivan's Pond and Lake Banook is popular for strolling and paddling. The forested Shubie Park , through which the historic Shubenacadie Canal runs, is a major park in suburban Dartmouth. Mainland Halifax is home to several significant parks, including Sir Sandford Fleming Park , gifted to

8844-489: The Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), although "Halifax" has remained in common usage for brevity. On April 15, 2014, regional council approved the implementation of a new branding campaign for the municipality. The campaign would see the region referred to in promotional materials simply as "Halifax", although "Halifax Regional Municipality" would remain the region's official name. Halifax has

8978-417: The Halifax peninsula, the wide fields are a popular location for sports. The slopes of Citadel Hill , overlooking downtown, are favoured by sunbathers and kite-flyers. The Halifax Public Gardens , a short walk away, are Victorian era public gardens formally established in 1867 and designated a National Historic Site in 1984. Victoria Park , across the street, contains various monuments and statues erected by

9112-559: The Metropolitan Authority since the late 1970s, but remained independent towns and cities until April 1, 1996, when the provincial government amalgamated all municipal governments within Halifax County to create the Halifax Regional Municipality. The municipal boundary thus now includes all of Halifax County except for several First Nation reserves. Since amalgamation, the region has officially been known as

9246-581: The President of the United States published the report "The State of Homelessness in America". The report found that "[O]ver half a million people go homeless on a single night in the United States" with approximately 65% or 350,000 people living in homeless shelters and 35% – just under 200,000 people – are unsheltered in the streets (living on sidewalks or in parks, cars, or abandoned buildings). Almost half (47%) of all unsheltered homeless people are found in

9380-462: The Rose Report (publ. 1964) was passed 37/41 in favour of relocation to other locations in Halifax. The report never went into details or analyzed what the lives of residents would be like in their new homes, but was insistent that their best interests were at heart. The relocation took place mainly between 1964 and 1967. The residents were assisted in their move by the City's authorities, moving

9514-423: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Labor. State and local governments and private philanthropy provide substantial funding and support for homeless assistance as well. The Trump Administration implemented a range of policies in conjunction with homeless assistance programs in addressing the four major drivers of homelessness. Most significant

9648-722: The US – is caused in part by income inequality. David Rodda noted that from 1984 and 1991, the number of quality rental units decreased as the demand for higher quality housing increased. Through gentrification of older neighbourhoods, for example, in East New York, rental prices increased rapidly as landlords found new residents willing to pay higher market rate for housing and left lower income families without rental units. The ad valorem property tax policy combined with rising prices made it difficult or impossible for low income residents to keep pace. Lack of affordable housing places

9782-475: The Victoria state government revealed plans to build 800,000 new homes over a decade from 2024 to help fix the housing crisis . However, Dr Duncan Maxwell, director of Monash University’s Future Building Initiative, has shown concerns that Victoria's construction workforce is too small for the state government to meet its ambitious new home-building goal of 80,000 homes a year and training would be key to reaching

9916-579: The annual Africville Family Reunion. The Seaview African United Baptist Church , demolished in 1969, was rebuilt in the summer of 2011 to serve as a church and interpretation centre. The church was ceremonially opened on 25 September. Rev. Rhonda Britten, a leader in the African-Nova-Scotian community, welcomed the settlement and said it was time to put the past behind them: I know that there are some among us who are wounded, and some among us who bear those scars. But, in spite of all of that,

10050-492: The annual Halifax International Busker Festival every August. Downtown Halifax, home to many small shops and vendors, is a major shopping area. It is also home to several shopping centres, including Scotia Square , Barrington Place Shops, and Maritime Mall . Numerous malls on Spring Garden Road , including the Park Lane Mall , are also located nearby. The area is home to approximately 200 restaurants and bars, offering

10184-407: The average rent of a two-bedroom apartment, regardless of location or quality. This can make housing look more expensive than it actually is for many people. Additionally, these studies often ignore cheaper options like rooms in houses or illegal conversions, even if they're common. Finally, someone paying off a mortgage might look like they're struggling one month, but be fine the next, further skewing

10318-457: The benefits of industrialization. Those benefits include employment opportunities and better living conditions with access to infrastructure, education, healthcare, and recreation. This process is referred to as urbanization. World Bank reports that by 2050 nearly 7 of 10 people in the world will live in cities. This kind of growth however brings challenges to urban development as cities are tasked with efficiently using resources in accordance with

10452-492: The boundaries of Taylor Head Provincial Park . The northeastern area of the municipality, centred on Sheet Harbour and the Musquodoboit Valley, is completely rural, with the area sharing more in common with the adjacent rural areas of neighbouring Guysborough , Pictou and Colchester counties. Most economic activity in the Musquodoboit Valley is based on agriculture, as it is the largest farming district in

10586-538: The coast as a category 1 storm in 2010. In 2019, Hurricane Dorian made landfall just south of Halifax as a post-tropical storm with an intensity equivalent to a category 2 hurricane and caused significant damage across Nova Scotia. In 2021 Hurricane Ida hit the region with minor damage. In 2022, Hurricane Fiona hit as a category 2 storm, although damage was relatively minor in Halifax, with downed trees and widespread power outages for days. Atlantic sea surface temperatures have risen in recent years, making Halifax and

10720-418: The coast of Nova Scotia somewhat more susceptible to hurricanes than the area had been in the past. The highest temperature ever recorded in Halifax was 37.2 °C (99.0 °F) on July 10, 1912, and the lowest temperature recorded was −29.4 °C (−20.9 °F) on February 18, 1922. The March 2012 North American heat wave brought unusually high temperatures to the municipality of Halifax. On March 22,

10854-417: The corporation at market rate. In a limited-equity housing cooperative there are restrictions on the profits members can earn from selling their share (such as caps on sale price) to meant to maintain affordable housing. Community land trusts are nonprofit corporation that holds land, housing, or other assets on behalf of a neighborhood or community. A community land trust acquires and maintains ownership of

10988-446: The cost of mortgages and the cost of borrowing. Public policies may include the implementation of subsidy programs and incentive patterns for average households. For the most vulnerable groups, such as seniors, single-parent families, the disabled, etc. some form of publicly funded allowance strategy can be implemented providing individual households with adequate income to afford housing. Currently, policies that facilitate production on

11122-751: The country and context. For example, in Australia, the National Affordable Housing Summit Group developed their definition of affordable housing as housing that is "...reasonably adequate in standard and location for lower or middle income households and does not cost so much that a household is unlikely to be able to meet other basic needs on a sustainable basis." Affordable housing in the United Kingdom includes "social rented and intermediate housing, provided to specified eligible households whose needs are not met by

11256-517: The current communities have developed de facto business districts where residents of their respective communities (and their respective environs) can access products and services without travelling long distances (e.g. to Downtown Dartmouth or to Downtown Halifax ). Currently, the municipality is divided into 21 community planning areas which are further divided into neighbourhoods. The regional municipality has taken steps to reduce duplicate street names for its 9-1-1 emergency dispatch services; at

11390-481: The data. Costs are being driven by a number of factors including: In research, there is an established connection between the supply of housing and the price of housing; housing tends to be more expensive when there is a shortage of housing (when the supply does not meet demand). In some countries, the market has been unable to meet the growing demand to supply housing stock at affordable prices. Although demand for affordable housing, particularly rental housing that

11524-459: The entirety of the County of Halifax and all of its places (cities, suburbs, towns, and villages) were turned into communities of a larger single-tier municipality called Halifax Regional Municipality. As of 2021, the total surface area of the municipality is 5,475.57 km (2,114.13 sq mi). The Halifax Regional Municipality occupies an area comparable in size to the total land area of

11658-438: The former cities of Dartmouth and Halifax have maintained their original geographic names. Furthermore, communities that were suburban , or even rural before 1996, now have become more urban and have attained community status (e.g. Cole Harbour , Lower Sackville , Spryfield , et cetera). These community names are used on survey and mapping documents, for 9-1-1 service, municipal planning, and postal service. Before

11792-477: The free alternative arts weekly The Coast . Halifax has several online daily newspapers . allNovaScotia is a daily, subscriber-only outlet which focuses on business and political news from across the province. CityNews Halifax , associated with the CJNI-FM radio station, was created from a merger of the former News 95.7 and HalifaxToday (previously Local Xpress ) news websites. The Halifax Examiner

11926-562: The frost-free period is 182 days, ranging from May 1 to October 31. As of the 2021 Canadian Census , the Halifax Census Metropolitan Area ( Metropolitan Halifax ) is coterminous with the Municipality of Halifax and the Municipality of East Hants . The total land area of Metropolitan Halifax is 727,622 hectares (7,276.22 square kilometres; 2,809.36 square miles) The metropolitan area grew between

12060-562: The global demand for affordable housing. Globally, it is estimated that 1.6 billion people live in inadequate housing conditions. The majority of that population live in " urban slums " which are highly populated, impoverished residential areas consisting of densely packed housing that lack proper shelter and basic necessities such as clean water, food, hygiene facilities, and electricity. Slums typically form in developing countries as populations migrate from rural to urban areas searching for employment and better living conditions. But due to

12194-509: The higher prices of urban living and a range of other factors such as economic stagnation, migrators find themselves forced to relocate to such slums. The largest slum in the world is Neza-Chalco-Itza in Mexico, housing almost four million people. According to estimates, by 2030 1 in 4 people on the planet will live in a slum or other informal settlement. Meanwhile, there are approximately 140 million people worldwide who are homeless, usually as

12328-420: The housing goal but "change is required" from both the government and the construction industry to rethink the way homes are built in Australia. Specifically, Dr Maxwell said that to reach that target, the sector would need to rely on technology and prefabricated materials and focus on designing smaller and more efficient buildings. A number of researchers argue that a shortage of affordable housing – at least in

12462-458: The income divide between different socioeconomic groups to widen by creating enclaves of low-income and wealthy neighborhoods. These enclaves dictate the distribution of labor, causing a geographical distribution of industries that disproportionately exclude low-income residents from lucrative industries. As the world's population continues to increase (expected to reach 9 billion by mid century), more and more people are inhabiting cities for

12596-469: The index the obvious cost of rents and mortgage payments are modified by the hidden costs of those choices. Other groups have also created amenity based housing affordability indexes. The Center for Neighborhood Technology developed the Housing + Transportation (H+T) Affordability Index provides a comprehensive view of affordability that includes both the cost of housing and the cost of transportation at

12730-444: The land through a not-for-profit that holds the land in a trust. Homeowners then purchase or build a home on land trust property but do not purchase the land thus reducing costs. If the homeowner sells, they may be limited on what they may sell the home for or the family may earn only a portion of the increased property value with the remainder kept by the trust to preserve affordable housing There are over 225 community land trusts in

12864-826: The low house prices and rents indicate low capital gain potential and poor employment prospects. Lack of affordable housing can make low-cost labour scarcer (as workers travel longer distances). "In addition to the distress it causes families who cannot find a place to live, lack of affordable housing is considered by many urban planners to have negative effects on a community's overall health." Improving thermal comfort at home especially for houses without adequate warmth and for tenants with chronic respiratory disease may lead to improved health and promote social relationships. Housing cost increases in American cities have been linked to declines in enrollment at local schools. The American Journal of Public Health recognizes homelessness as

12998-589: The majority of those residents commuting to and working in the urban core. Farther away, rural communities in the municipality function like any resource-based area in Nova Scotia, being sparsely populated and their local economies based on four major resource industries: agriculture , in the Musquodoboit Valley, fishing , along the coast, mining , in the Musquodoboit Valley and in Moose River Gold Mines and forestry , in most areas outside

13132-548: The market." In some contexts, affordable housing may only mean subsidized or public housing whereas in other cases it may include naturally occurring affordable housing or "affordable" by different incomes levels from no income households to moderate income but cost-burdened households. The median multiple indicator, recommended by the World Bank and the United Nations, rates affordability of housing by dividing

13266-408: The measurement, the number of affordable neighborhoods nationally drops to 26%, resulting in a net loss of 59,768 neighborhoods that Americans can truly afford. Per CNT's measurement, people who live in location-efficient neighborhoods that are compact, mixed-use, and have convenient access to jobs, services, transit and amenities tend to have lower transportation costs. Some analysts believe income

13400-410: The median house price by gross (before tax) annual median household income). A common measure of community-wide affordability is the number of homes that a household with a certain percentage of median income can afford. For example, in a perfectly balanced housing market, the median household (the wealthier half of households) could officially afford the median housing option, while those poorer than

13534-418: The median income could not afford the median home. 50% affordability for the median home indicates a balanced market. Some countries look at those living in relative poverty , which is usually defined as making less than 60% of the median household income . In their policy reports, they consider the presence or absence of housing for people making 60% of the median income. Determining housing affordability

13668-550: The mercury climbed to 28.2 °C (82.8 °F) at the Halifax Windsor Park weather station, and 27.2 °C (81.0 °F) at Halifax Stanfield International Airport . In spite of the possibility of high temperatures, in a normal year there are only three days that go above 30 °C (86 °F). Halifax also has a modest frost count by Canadian standards due to the maritime influence, averaging 131 air frosts and 49 full days below freezing annually. On average

13802-762: The modern-day Regional Municipality. St. Margaret's Bay was first settled by French-speaking Foreign Protestants at French Village, Nova Scotia who migrated from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia during the American Revolution. December 6, 1917 saw one of the great disasters in Canadian history, when the SS ; Mont-Blanc , a French cargo ship carrying munitions, collided with the Belgian Relief vessel SS  Imo in "The Narrows" between upper Halifax Harbour and Bedford Basin. The resulting explosion,

13936-401: The more than eight billion people on earth now live in urban areas. There are more than 500 city regions of more than one million inhabitants in the world. Cities become megacities become megalopolitan city regions and even "galaxies" of more than 60 million inhabitants. The Yangtze Delta-Greater Shanghai region now surpasses 80 million. Tokyo-Yokohama adjacent to Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto have

14070-402: The municipal land area. The area surrounds Halifax Harbour and its main centres are Bedford , Dartmouth , and Halifax (and their respective environs). Between the 2016 Canadian Census and the 2021 Canadian Census , the built-up area of Halifax grew by 357 hectares (3.57 km ) from 23,472 hectares (234.72 km ) in 2016 to 23,829 hectares (238.29 km ) in 2021 . Halifax

14204-422: The municipality. CBC Radio has a major regional studio and there are also regional hubs for Rogers Radio and various private broadcast franchises, as well as a regional bureau for The Canadian Press / Broadcast News . Halifax's print media is centred on its single daily newspaper, the broadsheet Chronicle Herald as well as two free newspapers, the daily commuter-oriented edition of Metro International and

14338-413: The municipality. Most coastal communities are based on the fishing industry. Forestry is active in this area as well. It is also prevalent in the Musquodoboit Valley, but it takes a backseat to the more prominent agricultural industry. At 23,829 hectares (238.29 square kilometres; 92.00 square miles), Halifax's urban area (defined as population centre by Statistics Canada) is less than five percent of

14472-441: The neighborhood level. CNT notes that the 30% of household income affordability measurementment results in little over half (55%) of U.S. neighborhoods being considered "affordable" for the typical household. They note that such a measurement fails to take into account transportation costs (such as multiple cars, gas, maintenance), which are usually a household's second-largest expenditure. When transportation costs are factored into

14606-449: The northern boundary of the municipality usually being between 50 and 60 km (31 and 37 mi) inland. The coast is mostly rock with small isolated sand beaches in sheltered bays. The largest coastal features include St. Margarets Bay , Halifax Harbour / Bedford Basin , Cole Harbour , Musquodoboit Harbour , Jeddore Harbour, Ship Harbour, Sheet Harbour, and Ecum Secum Harbour. The municipality's topography spans from lush farmland in

14740-479: The only month with a high that is slightly below freezing at −0.1 °C (31.8 °F), while August is the warmest. The sea heavily influences the climate of the area, causing significant seasonal lag in summer, with August being significantly warmer than June and with September being the third mildest month in terms of mean temperature. Precipitation is high year-round. Winter features a mix of rain, freezing rain and snow with frequent freeze-thaw cycles. Snowfall

14874-881: The overregulation of housing markets. As stated in President Trump's Executive Order Establishing a White House Council on Eliminating Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing, such regulations include: “overly restrictive zoning and growth management controls; rent controls; cumbersome building and rehabilitation codes; excessive energy and water efficiency mandates; unreasonable maximum-density allowances; historic preservation requirements; overly burdensome wetland or environmental regulations; outdated manufactured-housing regulations and restrictions; undue parking requirements; cumbersome and time-consuming permitting and review procedures; tax policies that discourage investment or reinvestment; overly complex labor requirements; and inordinate impact or developer fees.” These regulations reduce

15008-597: The people of Halifax by Sir Sandford Fleming . It houses the Dingle Tower, dedicated in 1912 by the Duke of Connaught to commemorate 150 years of representative government in Nova Scotia. The Mainland Common, in Clayton Park , is a modern park home to various sports and community facilities. Long Lake Provincial Park , comprising more than 2,000 hectares, was designated in 1984 and affords Halifax residents access to

15142-431: The price of housing has increased dramatically creating a crisis in affordable housing. Additionally, the process of weighing the impacts of locating affordable housing is quite contentious and may have race and class implications . Affordable housing policy has political, philosophical, and ethical elements. In the simplest of terms, affordability of housing refers to the amount of capital one has available in relation to

15276-429: The price of the goods to be obtained. Public policies are informed by underlying assumptions about the nature of housing itself. Is housing a basic need, a right, an entitlement, or a public good? Or is it just another household-level consumer choice , a commodity or an investment within the free market system? "Housing Policies provide a remarkable litmus test for the values of politicians at every level of office and of

15410-605: The province of Prince Edward Island , and measures approximately 165 km (103 mi) in length between its eastern and westernmost extremities, excluding Sable Island . The nearest point of land to Sable Island is not in HRM, but rather in adjacent Guysborough County . However, Sable Island is considered part of District 7 of the Halifax Regional Council. The coastline is heavily indented, accounting for its length of approximately 400 km (250 mi), with

15544-588: The region's national-quality sports and entertainment facilities. Halifax is also the home to many of the region's major cultural attractions, such as Halifax Pop Explosion , Symphony Nova Scotia , the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia , The Khyber , the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and the Neptune Theatre. The region is noted for the strength of its music scene and nightlife, especially within

15678-447: The relationship between sustainable housing and affordable housing found that setting standards for energy and location would help reduce environmental stressors like greenhouse gas emissions. Improving the sustainability of affordable housing units is found to provide benefits such as reductions in energy costs, an increase in the economic value of sustainable housing, and increased comfort for sustainable housing residents. According to

15812-470: The report provides is the tolerability of sleeping on the street (outside of shelter or housing). Studies show that cities with warmer climates have significantly higher rates of unsheltered homelessness compared to cities with cold climates. The homeless are more accepting of unsheltered living in areas with warmer conditions, hence why Los Angeles and San Diego have some of the highest unsheltered rates. The third factor that explains variation in homelessness

15946-696: The right to housing as part of the right to an adequate standard of living . Article 11(1) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) also guarantees the right to housing as part of the right to an adequate standard of living . Many housing rights groups also attempt to combat social and political issues which relate to access to quality affordable housing such as housing discrimination , redlining , and lack of access to amenities in areas with affordable housing including food deserts and transit deserts . One potential means of addressing affordable housing

16080-403: The spiritual heart of the community, removed in the middle of the night. We acknowledge the tremendous importance the church had, both for the congregation and the community as a whole. We realize words cannot undo what has been done, but we are profoundly sorry and apologize to all the former residents and their descendants. On 29 July 2011, the city restored the name Africville to Seaview Park at

16214-474: The state of California. Rates of sheltered homelessness are highest in Boston, New York City, Washington D.C., with NYC alone containing over one-fifth of all sheltered people in the U.S. In a framework of supply and demand the report analyzes the major factors that causes the variation in homelessness across communities. Considering the four major drivers of homeless populations: (i) the higher price of housing resulting from overregulation of housing markets; (ii)

16348-555: The student's previous test score or attendance. A 1996 technical report also found that teachers that teach students that have had to move with a high frequency have had to include a reduction in instructional pacing and more review to accommodate variation and uncertainty in student learning. A new subsection of affordable housing has emerged: sustainable affordable housing. Many researchers have contributed to this subsection, discovering innovative methods to make affordable housing less environmentally detrimental. One method emphasized

16482-913: The supply of housing and as a result increase the price of a home. Given the relationship between higher home prices and homelessness, the report simulated the impact of deregulation on housing in individual metropolitan areas. It showed that if 11 metropolitan areas with significantly supply constrained housing were deregulated, homelessness would fall by 54 percent in San Francisco, by 50 percent in Honolulu, by 40 percent in Oxnard and Los Angeles, by 38 percent in San Diego, by 36 percent in Washington, D.C., and by between 19 and 26 percent in Boston, Denver, New York, Seattle and Baltimore. The second factor

16616-430: The supply side include favorable land use policies such as inclusionary zoning , relaxation of environmental regulations, and the enforcement of affordable housing quotas in new developments. In some countries, such as Canada and the United States, municipal governments began to play a greater role in developing and implementing policies regarding form and density of municipal housing in residential districts, as early as

16750-425: The time of amalgamation, some street names were duplicated several times throughout the municipality. Current planning areas: Halifax is centred on the urban core and surrounded by areas of decreasing population density. Rural areas lie to the east, west and north of the urban core. The Atlantic Ocean lies to the south. Certain rural communities on the urban fringe function as suburban or exurban areas, with

16884-407: The tolerability of sleeping on the street (outside of shelter or housing); (iii) the supply of homeless shelters; and (iv) the characteristics of individuals in a community that make homelessness more likely, the report concludes with federal policies and programs aimed at reducing homelessness. The first factor contributing to an increase in homelessness is the higher price of housing resulting from

17018-654: The urban communities; see List of musical groups from Halifax, Nova Scotia for a partial list. Halifax hosts a wide variety of festivals that take place throughout the year, including; the largest Canada Day celebration east of Ottawa, the Atlantic Film Festival , the Halifax International Busker Festival, Greekfest, Atlantic Jazz Festival, the Multicultural Festival, Natal Day , Nocturne Festival ,

17152-461: The urban core. Also, the tourism industry is beginning to change how some rural communities in Halifax function, particularly in communities such as Hubbards , Peggys Cove , with its notable lighthouse and Lawrencetown , with Lawrencetown Beach. There are two other large beaches along the coast, Martinique Beach, near Musquodoboit Harbour and Taylor Head Beach , located in Spry Bay , within

17286-490: The varied communities that influence them. Often this test measures simply the warmth or coldness of heart of the more affluent and secure towards families of a lower socio-economic status." To combat slums , homelessness , and other social and economic impacts of a housing unaffordability, many groups have argued for a " right to housing ". Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes

17420-422: The victory has been won. We cannot continue to feed our children the bitter pills, we must give them the pills of love. We must plant in them the seeds of unity and victory. That is the only way. 44°40′28.5″N 63°37′6.6″W  /  44.674583°N 63.618500°W  / 44.674583; -63.618500 Halifax Regional Municipality Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of

17554-517: Was demolished in 1969 at night to avoid controversy. The last Africville home was demolished on 2 January 1970. Part of Africville is now occupied by a highway interchange that services the A. Murray MacKay Bridge ; however, the port development at Fairview Cove did not extend as far east as Africville, leaving the waterfront intact. Efforts to address the plight of the Africville relocation happened over 25 years. These efforts were largely led by

17688-631: Was founded by the former news editor of The Coast in 2014 and, like allNovaScotia , is supported through subscriptions. From 1974 to 2008, Halifax had a second daily newspaper, the tabloid The Daily News , which still publishes several neighbourhood weekly papers such as The Bedford-Sackville Weekly News , The Halifax West-Clayton Park Weekly News and the Dartmouth-Cole Harbour Weekly News . These weekly papers compete with The Chronicle-Herald' s weekly Community Heralds HRM West , HRM East , and HRM North . Halifax

17822-613: Was the reformation of the Housing First approach which provides competitive funding to CoC's. While the program maintains a commitment to providing housing with no preconditions to program participants, the 2019 Notice of Funding Availability allowed communities flexibility to impose service participation requirements for participants after they have been stabilized in housing. Such reforms allow homeless assistance programs help vulnerable homeless individuals become self-sufficient through employment and earning an income. The majority of

17956-566: Was to use the land for business and industry. Many years earlier, and again in 1947, after a major fire burnt several Africville houses, the topic of relocation of Africville was discussed. Concrete plans of relocation, stimulated by the 1957 Stephenson Report, did not officially emerge until 1961 with the creation of the City's Department of Development. In 1962, Halifax adopted the relocation proposal unanimously. Promising free lawyers and social workers, as well as such things as job training, employment assistance, education services to those affected,

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