Nova Scotia’s population explosion dwarfs homebuilding rate
Unfortunately, government policies are deterring housing development.
In a recent survey, Haligonians identified “housing” as the most important issue facing their city—and it’s easy to see why. House prices have surged by 77 per cent provincewide since the pandemic (January 2020 to January 2025) while monthly rent for a typical two-bedroom unit has jumped from $1,050 in 2019 to $1,502 in 2024. Consequently, many areas of the province have become unaffordable for ordinary Nova Scotians.
Why? Because too few homes have been built to accommodate Nova Scotia’s growing population.
The province has experienced an unprecedented population boom due mainly to record-high levels of immigration. In 2023, the province added a record 29,134 new residents—nearly double the pre-pandemic peak in 2019. While population growth slowed to 15,379 in 2024, this was still higher than any year prior to the pandemic. Remarkably, in the decade between 2015 and 2024, Nova Scotia’s population grew by more than it had during the entire previous 40 years.
Meanwhile, housing construction has increased, but not by nearly enough to keep pace with the population explosion. In 2024, construction began on 7,381 new housing units—the highest annual total since 1986—but back then, population growth was less than one-quarter of today’s level….[Continue Reading]