Housing Accelerator Fund

The Government of Canada and the Town of Wolfville have reached an agreement to fast track 45 housing units over the next three years. This work will help spur the construction of 280 homes over the next decade.

The agreement under the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) will provide more than $1.8 million to eliminate barriers to building the housing we need, faster.

Wolfville’s Action Plan commits to six local initiatives that enable a variety of housing forms and densities to meet the diverse needs of the community.

The Wolfville plan includes:

1. Exclusionary Zoning Reform – promoting and allowing more housing types in all residential zones.
2. Public education – share our housing needs, identify needs across the spectrum and systemic changes required to improve the housing situation.
3. Reduce discretionary and political approval (as-of-right zoning), appropriately zone properties, waive fees, reduce parking requirements.
4. Work with Acadia to create a Student Housing Strategy, identify “investment ready” projects, create purpose-built student housing.
5. Enable more non-market options by forming a working group with stakeholders, create a non-market strategy, affordable housing grant program, and a land bank.
6. Amend parking regulations - implement reduced parking requirements.

The Wolfville approach

Wolfville’s housing needs assessment identified a major gap in housing supply. In 2021, the gap was 165 units and this gap is projected to increase to 830 units by 2027, and then to 1,705 housing units by 2032.

This investment through the Housing Accelerator Fund will help deliver more missing middle and affordable housing units to our community.

Through our six action areas, we will be promoting and encouraging the housing types that are most needed in our community. These actions include allowing more than one dwelling unit per lot in all residential zones, allowing more needed housing types to be permitted as-of-right, and appropriately zoning strategic properties.

Affordable Housing in Wolfville

Wolfville has a shortage of affordable housing units. Affordable housing developments will be encouraged and supported through waiving of fees, an affordable housing grant program, a land bank, and an affordable housing working group to support the creation of an affordable housing strategy. We will also explore reducing the parking requirements in strategically chosen sites to encourage affordable housing development.

Working with Acadia University is also part of our plan. Together, we will create a Student Housing Strategy aimed at increasing housing near or on the University campus.

A community engagement and educational program is key to the success of our work and forms part of our action plan. This will help ensure the community is aware of the housing needs, the proposed changes they may see, and the on-going opportunities we will make available so all stakeholders can ask questions and provide feedback.