Nova Scotia is lowering fees for most new and phased condo developments to increase housing in the province. The change will make large-scale projects more cost-effective.

The new fee structure will combine the current base amount with a new per-unit fee. The previous value-based structure charged developers a per-unit fee based on the advertised sale price, which resulted in high registration fees for large developments.

The amendments, in regulations under the Condominium Act, will make it easier for developers to predict in advance the fees they will owe. The changes will also result in an overall reduction in the total registration fees levied by the government.

“Reducing barriers for condominium development is another way that government is supporting the housing challenges we’re seeing in the province,” said Colton LeBlanc, Minister of Service Nova Scotia. “This crisis won’t be fixed by any one solution, and we’re exploring every opportunity we can to create more housing for Nova Scotians.”

So far, the province has introduced other initiatives to boost housing, including:

• increased investment in the Affordable Housing Development Program to support the creation of new affordable housing supply;
• the Land for Housing Program, which makes unused or vacant government-owned land available for residential development opportunities;
• the Community Housing Acquisition Program, which provides low-interest loans to community housing organizations to acquire affordable housing units;
• the Secondary and Backyard Suite Incentive Program, which will see $8 million invested over three years to support the creation of 300 affordable suites;
• investments in public housing that will see the creation of 273 new units to house 700 more people;
• a provincial investment in municipal infrastructure to help support growth in municipalities across the province through the Municipal Capital Growth Program; and
• recent investments in on-campus student housing, with a total of 620 new student housing spaces for Nova Scotia Community College announced since 2021.