N.S. housing crunch must be treated as 'once-in-a-generation challenge': industry
Nova Scotia's housing shortage is a generational challenge that must be met with effort similar to what was needed to rebuild after the Halifax explosion, says the head of the province's construction association.
Expected to be lacking 41,200 homes by 2028 -- and with the pressures of inflation, high interest rates and labour shortages -- the province needs to take immediate action, says Duncan Williams, president and CEO of the Construction Association of Nova Scotia.
"This is a once-in-a-generation challenge. We've had this before, we had it after the Halifax explosion," Williams said about the 1917 collision between two ships -- one carrying explosives -- that killed 2,000 people, injured thousands more and destroyed neighbourhoods.
"But most of the folks that were around then and would have helped plan through that, obviously, are not with us anymore."
Nova Scotia's current housing needs, he said in a recent interview, are similar to the province's situation after the Second World War, which resulted in a period of major urban development in Halifax that extended into the 1960s.
"We've done this before. We just need to go back and dust off some of the history for how it got done."
Williams says he's looking overseas for help. Last week, he returned from a recruiting trip in London, England, where he shared job details with professionals with experience in "anywhere from drywall, to carpentry, to finish carpentry and pretty much anything in between."
He was joined by representatives from the province and the Canadian Home Builders Association of Nova Scotia, and said they were met with a "very positive response." It's too early, he said, to know how many labourers might come to the province as a result of the visit, but he said the delegation had in-depth conversations about work opportunities in Nova Scotia with 300 tradespeople.
"And now I'm helping match up some of the applicants or folks we've had said they're interested with some of the job openings that are available," he said.
Newly-built homes are pictured at a suburb under construction in Halifax on Tuesday, November 28, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese
There are between 2,000 and 3,000 construction job openings across the province, he said, adding that sustained investment from all levels of government is needed to grow the skilled trades workforce and speed up the rate of construction.
In order to make a dent in the housing deficit, the province has to build at a rate well above the recent approximate annual average of 6,000 new housing units, Williams said.
"In this year alone I think we're on track to (build) 5,000, so we're actually seeing the trend go in the opposite direction," he said, a drop he attributes to a shortage of available labour and the high cost of supplies. To close the gap, the province would likely need to build 16,000 new units a year to catch up and return to a "balanced supply," he said.
The projection that Nova Scotia will be short 41,200 homes in less than five years comes from a provincial study completed by consultant Turner Drake & Partners, which estimated that in 10 years, the shortage of housing units may hit 80,400. It also found that 54 per cent of the 21,000 Nova Scotians surveyed said they had to spend more than 30 per cent of their income on housing; 46 per cent said they couldn't find a place to rent in their price range.
Work needed to reverse the bleak housing projections is "doable," Williams said.
"But there's a lot of things that have to line up right to make it happen."
In October, Nova Scotia's government said it would invest $1 billion over five years "to create the conditions" needed to address the housing shortage. The province also said it would spend more than $100 million over three years to speed up the recruitment and training of skilled tradespeople.
"The way we are currently training these skilled professionals can't keep up with the level of demand," Premier Tim Houston told reporters on Oct. 20.
An excavator moves rock at a residential construction site in a suburb of Halifax on Tuesday, November 28, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese
Mohammed El Sherif, project manager of Halifax-based construction company Savvy Homes Construction Ltd. said in a recent interview that next to challenges with labour, the rising costs of all aspects of home building is a top concern.
Statistics Canada data from July to September 2023 found that residential construction costs were up by 8.4 per cent in Halifax compared to the same quarter last year -- the second highest year-over-year increase of the 11 major cities surveyed, next to Toronto.
"The price of material and land has had a major impact and the construction insurance is also getting expensive. Those rising costs are reflected in the price of housing, he said, adding that they also limit the number of projects the company takes on.
"Sometimes we find the land, but then we do our math and if it's going to get too expensive by the time we finish constructing the house, then it's less appealing to a buyer," making the project unviable, he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 28, 2023.
For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Florida deputies who fatally shot U.S. airman burst into wrong apartment, attorney says
Deputies responding to a disturbance call at a Florida apartment complex burst into the wrong unit and fatally shot a Black U.S. Air Force airman who was home alone when they saw he was armed with a gun, an attorney for the man's family said Wednesday.
Air Canada ranks near bottom on customer satisfaction: survey
Air Canada ranks below most other major North American airlines on customer satisfaction, with airfares a particular sore point, according to a new survey.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.