BILL NO. 212
(as introduced)
1st Session, 65th General Assembly
Nova Scotia
4 Charles III, 2026
Government Bill
An Act Respecting
Administrative Measures for Housing
The Honourable John White
Minister of Housing
First Reading: February 27, 2026
Second Reading:
Third Reading:
Explanatory Notes
Clause 1 amends the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter to require the Halifax Regional Municipality to provide, and newly elected councillors of the Municipality to attend, orientation training.
Clause 2 provides the Municipality's Council with authority to
(a) delegate the evaluation and performance management of the Municipality's Chief Administrative Officer to a Council committee;
(b) exclude or limit the Chief Administrative Officer's
- (i) attendance at certain Council or Council committee meetings, or
(ii) participation or membership in external boards, committees or organizations; and
(c) intervene in the Chief Administrative Officer's delegations of authority if the Chief Administrative Officer is absent for more than 30 days.
(a) allow the Minister of Municipal Affairs to amend the Municipality's planning documents to extend or alter the Municipality's urban service area;
(b) allow the Minister to request information from the Municipality or from any utility owned by the Municipality and requires the Municipality or utility to comply with the request;
(c) provide for the expiry of these newly added provisions; and
(d) provide the Governor in Council with regulation-making authority respecting the ministerial power to extend or alter the urban service and the expiry of the provisions.
Clause 5 amends the Housing in the Halifax Regional Municipality Act to update a ministerial title.
Clause 6 adds, in the context of factors affecting housing supply that the Executive Panel on Housing in the Halifax Regional Municipality shall advise on, a reference to water, wastewater, stormwater or other municipal infrastructure.
Clause 7 allows the Panel to request information from any utility owned by the Municipality and requires the utility to comply with the request.
(a) allow for ministerial orders to the Municipality or a utility owned by the Municipality relating to housing-enabling infrastructure work;
(b) provide parameters for the exercise of the ministerial order-making power, including where the Municipality or a utility owned by the Municipality does not comply with an order within a specific time; and
(c) provide the Governor in Council with regulation-making authority respecting the ministerial order-making power.
Clause 10 postpones the Panel's dissolution date by two years.
Clauses 11 and 12 amend the Housing Supply and Services Act to update departmental and ministerial titles.
(a) remove the interim board of the Nova Scotia Provincial Housing Agency; and
(b) make the establishment of the Agency's Advisory Board optional.
Clause 15 amends the Municipal Government Act to require municipalities to provide, and newly elected municipal councillors to attend, orientation training.
Clause 16 provides municipal councils with authority to
(a) delegate the evaluation and performance management of a municipality's chief administrative officer to a council committee;
(b) exclude or limit the chief administrative officer's
- (i) attendance at certain council or council committee meetings, or
(ii) participation or membership in external boards, committees or organizations; and
(c) intervene in the chief administrative officer's delegations of authority if the chief administrative officer is absent for more than 30 days.
Clause 17 amends the definition of "Minister" in the Short-term Rentals Registration Act to be the Minister responsible for the Housing Supply and Services Act.
Clause 18 provides that certain amendments come into force on proclamation.
An Act Respecting
Administrative Measures for Housing
Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:
1 Chapter 39 of the Acts of 2008, the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter, is amended by adding immediately after Section 20E the following Section:
- 20F (1) In this Section, "newly elected councillor" means a councillor who has been elected to the Council and was not a member of the Council immediately before that election.
(2) The Municipality shall, in accordance with the regulations, provide orientation training to newly elected councillors.
(3) A newly elected councillor shall attend orientation training provided pursuant to subsection (2).
(4) The Minister may make regulations respecting orientation training provided pursuant to subsection (2), including regulations prescribing requirements relating to
(a) the content, format and timing of the training; and
(b) who is to deliver aspects of the training.
(5) The exercise by the Minister of the authority contained in subsection (4) is a regulation within the meaning of the Regulations Act.
2 Chapter 39 is further amended by adding immediately after Section 35 the following Sections:
- 35A The Council may delegate the evaluation and performance management of the Chief Administrative Officer to a committee of the Council.
35B Notwithstanding clause 35(2)(a), the Council may exclude or limit the Chief Administrative Officer's
(a) attendance at any Council meeting or Council committee meeting, if the meeting includes or relates to
- (i) evaluation of the Chief Administrative Officer, including evaluation of the Chief Administrative Officer's conduct or performance, or
(ii) Council training, education, performance or coaching; and
(b) participation or membership in boards, committees or organizations external to the Municipality.
35C Where the Chief Administrative Officer is absent or unable to act for more than thirty days, the Council may intervene in, reassume or redirect any delegation of authority made by the Chief Administrative Officer.
3 Chapter 39 is further amended by adding immediately after Section 223A the following Sections:
- 223B (1) In this Section, "urban service area" means a geographical area or areas specified in the planning documents of the Municipality that may be developed with municipal water, wastewater or stormwater services.
(2) Where the Minister determines it is in the provincial interest to do so, the Minister may, by order, amend the planning documents of the Municipality to extend or alter the urban service area for the purpose of extending growth-enabling infrastructure.
223C (1) Where the Minister determines it is in the provincial interest to do so, the Minister may request any information from the Municipality or from any utility owned by the Municipality that the Minister considers relevant to growth-enabling infrastructure, and the Minister may specify a time in which the Municipality or the utility must provide the requested information.
(2) The Municipality and any utility owned by the Municipality shall provide the Minister with any information requested by the Minister within the time specified pursuant to subsection (1).
(3) For the purpose of this Section, the Minister has all the powers, privileges and immunities of a commissioner appointed pursuant to the Public Inquiries Act.
223D (1) Sections 223B and 223C expire and cease to have any effect on a date prescribed by the regulations or, where no date is prescribed, on November 25, 2028.
(2) Any amendments made to the planning documents of the Municipality by the Minister under subsection 223B(2) continue to have effect notwithstanding the expiration of Section 223B pursuant to subsection (1).
4 Chapter 39 is further amended by adding immediately after Section 277A the following Section:
- 277B (1) The Governor in Council may make regulations
(a) setting criteria and factors to be considered by the Minister when extending or altering the urban service area under Section 223B;
(b) prescribing a date for the expiration of Sections 223B and 223C.
(2) The exercise by the Governor in Council of the authority contained in subsection (1) is a regulation within the meaning of the Regulations Act.
5 Clause 3(f) of Chapter 21 of the Acts of 2021, the Housing in the Halifax Regional Municipality Act, as amended by Chapter 17 of the Acts of 2025, is further amended by striking out "Growth and Development" and substituting "Housing".
6 Subclause 6(1)(a)(ii) of Chapter 21 is repealed and the following subclause substituted:
- (ii) factors affecting housing supply, including
7 (1) Subsection 13(1) of Chapter 21 is amended by
(a) adding ", from any utility owned by the Municipality" immediately after "Municipality" the first time it appears; and
(b) adding ", the utility" immediately after "Municipality" the second time it appears.
(2) Subsection 13(2) of Chapter 21 is amended by adding ", any utility owned by the Municipality" immediately after "Municipality".
8 Chapter 21 is further amended by renumbering Section 21A as 21B and adding immediately after Section 21 the following Section:
- 21A (1) The Minister may order the Municipality or a utility owned by the Municipality to
(a) build, change, reconfigure or remove water, wastewater, stormwater or other municipal infrastructure within the Municipality for the purpose of accelerating and increasing the supply of housing;
(b) apply for infrastructure funding from federal or other available sources for the purpose of accelerating and increasing the supply of housing; and
(c) do anything necessary or desirable in the interest of the safe, efficient and affordable development of housing-enabling infrastructure.
(2) An order made under this Section must be consistent with the intent of this Act and in accordance with the regulations.
(3) The Minister may require the Municipality or a utility owned by the Municipality to comply with an order made under this Section within a reasonable time specified in the order.
(4) The cost of any work undertaken under subsection (1) shall be apportioned between the Municipality or the utility owned by the Municipality and the Crown in right of the Province in the manner agreed upon by them.
(5) Where no agreement is reached under subsection (4) within a reasonable period of time, the Minister may determine the apportionment of the cost of any work undertaken under subsection (1).
(6) Where the Minister orders the Municipality or a utility owned by the Municipality to build, change, reconfigure or remove infrastructure under subsection (1) and the Municipality or utility does not comply within the time specified in the order, the Minister, or any person acting by or under the Minister's authority, may build, change, reconfigure or remove the infrastructure in such manner as the Minister deems expedient.
(7) The cost of any work completed under subsection (6) is a debt owed by the Municipality or the utility owned by the Municipality to the Crown in right of the Province and may be recovered in any court of competent jurisdiction at the discretion of the Minister.
(8) Notwithstanding subsection (7), the Municipality or the utility owned by the Municipality does not incur any cost or owe any debt for any work undertaken under subsection (6) within the first 12 months of the coming into force of this Section.
9 Section 23 of Chapter 21 is amended by adding immediately after clause (f) the following clause:
- (fa) setting criteria and factors to be considered by the Minister when issuing orders under Section 21A;
10 Subsection 25(1) of Chapter 21, as amended by Chapter 3 of the Acts of 2024, is further amended by striking out "2026" and substituting "2028".
11 Section 3 of Chapter 36 of the Acts of 2022, the Housing Supply and Services Act, is amended by
(a) striking out "Municipal Affairs and Housing" in clause (c) and substituting "Growth and Development";
(b) striking out "Municipal Affairs and Housing" in clause (d) and substituting "Growth and Development"; and
(c) striking out "Municipal Affairs and" in clause (h).
12 The heading immediately before Section 5 of Chapter 36 is amended by striking out "MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS AND HOUSING" and substituting "GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT".
13 Section 25 of Chapter 36 is repealed.
14 Section 26 of Chapter 36 is repealed and the following Section substituted:
- 26 (1) The Minister may establish an Advisory Board that provides advice and recommendations to further the Agency's objects.
(2) Sections 27 to 38, 43 and 45 apply only if an Advisory Board has been established.
15 Chapter 18 of the Acts of 1998, the Municipal Government Act, is amended by adding immediately after Section 23E the following Section:
- 23F (1) In this Section, "newly elected councillor" means a councillor who has been elected to a council and was not a member of that council immediately before that election.
(2) A municipality shall, in accordance with the regulations, provide orientation training to newly elected councillors.
(3) A newly elected councillor shall attend orientation training provided pursuant to subsection (2).
(4) The Minister may make regulations respecting orientation training provided pursuant to subsection (2), including regulations prescribing requirements relating to
(a) the content, format and timing of the training; and
(b) who is to deliver aspects of the training.
(5) The exercise by the Minister of the authority contained in subsection (4) is a regulation within the meaning of the Regulations Act.
16 Chapter 18 is further amended by adding immediately after Section 31 the following Sections:
- 31A A council may delegate the evaluation and performance management of the chief administrative officer to a committee of the council.
31B Notwithstanding clause 31(2)(a), a council may exclude or limit the chief administrative officer's
(a) attendance at any council meeting or council committee meeting, if the meeting includes or relates to
- (i) evaluation of the chief administrative officer, including evaluation of the chief administrative officer's conduct or performance, or
(ii) council training, education, performance or coaching; and
(b) participation or membership in boards, committees or organizations external to the municipality.
31C Where the chief administrative officer is absent or unable to act for more than thirty days, a council may intervene in, reassume or redirect any delegation of authority made by the chief administrative officer.
17 Clause 2(aa) of Chapter 9 of the Acts of 2019, the Short-term Rentals Registration Act, as enacted by Chapter 22 of the Acts of 2023, is amended by striking out "of Municipal Affairs and Housing" and substituting "responsible for the Housing Supply and Services Act".
18 Sections 1, 8, 9 and 15 come into force on such day as the Governor in Council orders and declares by proclamation.
This page and its contents published by the Office of the Legislative Counsel, Nova Scotia House of Assembly, and © 2026 Crown in right of Nova Scotia. Created February 27, 2026. Send comments to legc.office@novascotia.ca.
