The federal and Atlantic Canadian housing minsters met in Halifax on Monday.

Both the Federal and Atlantic Ministers acknowledged the momentum from recent achievements and progress already made and agreed that continued collaboration between both levels of government is needed to address the challenges facing the housing sector.

Incentivizing factory built construction

Central to discussions on incentivizing the construction of factory-built homes were methods to source innovative building materials. The Atlantic region offers significant opportunities for innovation and growth in bioeconomy and the forestry sector, which would be further bolstered by the addition of mass timber manufacturing facilities. The Ministers agreed to identify options, including non-regulatory approaches, to improve alignment of construction practices, particularly for modular and mass timber construction methods, across Atlantic Canada.

Establishing an Atlantic Canada chapter in the housing catalogue

Acknowledging the significant interest in the Federal Government’s recently announced housing design catalogue initiative, Atlantic Ministers discussed the opportunity to collaborate with the Federal Government to include regional specific options within the catalogue of pre-approved home designs. This would include the development of modular housing, a sector in which the Atlantic provinces are poised to lead.

Flexibility that recognizes the unique needs of the Atlantic region

Highlighted throughout discussions was the significant change of the housing landscape in the Atlantic Provinces over the last five years. Rapid population growth, both in large urban cities and in rural areas, as well as the effects of high interest rates, inflation and labour shortages have contributed to difficulties finding affordable and available homes in the region. Ministers were united in recognizing that there is no “one size fits all” solution for addressing these issues, and that flexibility and dedicated funding is required to deliver housing solutions that respond to local needs.