The Government of Canada, the Municipality of the County of Antigonish (“County”), and the Town of Antigonish (“Town”) have reached an agreement to fast-track the construction of 93 homes over the next 3 years and more than 270 homes over the next 10 years.
In 2024, the Municipality of the County of Antigonish received $1.9 million to support eight housing initiatives, and the Town received $1.2 million for five initiatives. The Municipality and Town will receive this funding in four advances over four years. The Municipality and Town received the first advance after signing the contribution agreement, and future instalments are dependent on the progress and/or completion of the actions identified in the Action Plans. If the Town and Municipality do not make progress on these initiatives, then CMHC may reduce or withhold payment of future advances.
Three of the Action Plan initiatives are specifically related to amendments to municipal planning documents and related bylaws. During this first phase of funding, the Town and Municipality are focusing on three HAF initiatives:
- High-Density Housing (Town)
- High-density housing includes a variety of multi-unit dwellings, such as apartment buildings, row houses, or townhomes, and mixed-use buildings with housing above shops or offices.
- The Town of Antigonish will update policies and zoning regulations in its Municipal Planning Strategy to support the construction of more high-density housing, such as apartment buildings or multi-unit homes, in certain areas.
- Accessory Dwelling Units (County)
- Accessory dwelling units are smaller units located on the same lot as the primary dwelling (garden suites or carriage houses) or within the main dwelling (secondary suites or basement suites).
- Currently, the Municipality only allows accessory dwelling units in certain areas, which limits homeowners' ability to add extra housing to their properties.
- The Municipality will review its planning rules to determine where it makes sense to allow these types of dwellings more widely and amend planning documents where needed.
- Residential Improvements Bylaws (County)
- Currently, developers have to pay upfront costs to support municipal expenses such as water, sewer, or road services for new developments.
- This initiative will remove barriers to construction by providing developers with more flexible payment options and freeing up funds for future housing projects.
