Provincial release:

Three years into the provincial housing strategy, the Province is exceeding key targets with more Nova Scotians receiving support and more affordable homes available and preserved.

Since the launch of the five-year plan Our Homes, Action for Housing, the Province has created the conditions for almost 80,000 additional homes for Nova Scotians and their families through generational investments in new non-market housing and by working across all levels of government to cut red tape and fast-track stalled developments.

“These numbers represent opportunities for real people, now and into the future – seniors able to stay safely in their homes, healthcare workers accessing housing in the communities they serve, first-time buyers opening the door to homeownership, and communities seeing new homes take shape,” said John White, Minister of Housing. “We set ambitious targets because Nova Scotians needed us to move with urgency. Three years in, we are exceeding two of those targets and closing in on the third, but we are not done. We will keep investing, building and working with partners so more Nova Scotians can find homes that are safe, affordable and right for them.”

Key achievements from April 1, 2023, to June 30, 2026, include:
– actions in the plan have already paved the way for 79,100 new units; the target was 41,200 new units
– affordability has been improved for 25,500 households; the five-year goal was 17,250 households
– housing conditions have been improved for 45,300 households; the five-year goal is 47,900 households
– more than 1,400 first-time homebuyers were able to achieve their goal of homeownership through the Down Payment Assistance Program and the First-time Homebuyers Program
– the path has been cleared for more than 7,000 affordable and supportive housing units; the five-year goal was 5,000 units.

Partnerships remain central to creating long-term affordable housing, with the Province working with community housing groups, developers and the other levels of government.

Nova Scotia was the first province to sign an agreement with Build Canada Homes. The $300-million partnership with the Government of Canada will support 1,430 new homes, including 500 community housing units.

Provincial investments are also helping non-profit, co-operative and community housing providers build capacity, plan projects and preserve affordable homes rooted in the communities they serve.

Other housing highlights from 2023 to 2026 include:
– more than 2,630 units completed or underway across 16 special planning areas in Halifax Regional Municipality
– more than 15,500 households were supported by a rent supplement
– 515 new public housing units coming online – in the largest investment in 30 years – that will allow 1,300 people to enjoy new public housing; 307 are completed or underway
– actions through the Executive Panel on Housing in the Halifax Regional Municipality to remove barriers, advance infrastructure and accelerate approvals have enabled the development of more than 60,000 new units
– through the Housing for Healthcare initiative,112 units targeted for local healthcare workers are being created, with 76 occupied or under construction.

The progress report is at: https://novascotia.ca/action-for-housing/docs/action-for-housing-progress-report-2026-09.pdf

Quick Facts:
– progress is measured as of June 30, 2026, and reflects cumulative results since Our Homes, Action for Housing launched in 2023
– the housing plan represents a $1.7-billion provincial investment over five years across the province
– the Community Housing Acquisition Program has provided more than $99.2 million to preserve more than 1,025 affordable units since it was launched in 2022
– 14 projects have been conditionally approved through the Land for Housing program that could create 1,202 homes, of which 566 are affordable

Additional Resources:
Our Homes, Action for Housing: https://novascotia.ca/action-for-housing/

News release – Housing Plan on Track to Meet or Exceed Goals: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/09/24/housing-plan-track-meet-or-exceed-goals

News release – Housing Plan Progress Exceeds Targets in First Year: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/02/24/housing-plan-progress-exceeds-targets-first-year