FAQs

There are many ways that the Housing Accelerator Fund Action Plan can lead to lower housing costs.

These include:

• Less red tape (fewer approvals, development fees, and lengthy/costly project timelines required).
• Enabling more housing types such as duplexes, townhomes and low rise multi unit buildings can provide more affordable options for young professionals, families and retirees compared to single family homes.
• Support for non-market housing like co-op and non-profit housing can lead to more permanently affordable housing where rents do not change with market trends.
• Enables opportunities for existing homeowners to earn a supplemental income by adding a secondary suite to their home, or a backyard suite to allow them the opportunity to generate income through renting out a unit. 

The Town is updating the existing Design Guidelines for the Design Guidelines Area to be more stringent. The Design Guidelines are a tool to encourage any new development or major renovations in the area to be complimentary to the overall character of these areas. The Design Guidelines (current) can be viewed in the Land Use Bylaw here. 

Other ways to help protect the existing buildings is to be more flexible in what the owners can do on the inside of these buildings. Many of the larger, older homes in Wolfville were built for a generation with bigger families and lower overall housing costs. Today, families are much smaller and housing costs are much higher. Allowing more than one housing unit in these homes is one tool to help preserve the buildings while adapting to the conditions of the day.

The Action Plan focuses on creating more “Missing Middle” housing, homes that fit between single houses and big apartment buildings. Examples include duplexes, townhouses, and small apartment buildings.

These types of homes use less energy than single houses because they take up less space and share services like water, sewer, and heat. They also support more walkable neighbourhoods, where people can live, work, and enjoy activities without always needing a car. That means fewer car trips, less pollution, and a more sustainable future for Wolfville.