On November 7, 2026, Canadian government officials in London, St. John’s, and Moncton highlighted Budget 2026’s nearly $30 billion strategy to end homelessness within 10 years by integrating housing, health care, and social services.
Minister Gregor Robertson highlighted Budget 2026's plan to end homelessness within 10 years, backed by nearly $30 billion in federal funding for housing, health, and integrated support services.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal government tabled its second federal budget on Nov. 5, allocating $13 billion in new capital to Build Canada Homes to construct 200,000 homes over the next decade. The budget also extends the foreign buyer ban to 2029, while a recent Bank of Canada rate hike has introduced uncertainty into the housing market.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal government presented its second federal budget on Nov. 5, projecting a $62.3 billion deficit for 2026-27 while announcing $142 billion in new spending over five years, including major investments in housing, infrastructure, culture, and affordability measures.
The Province of Nova Scotia has extended the freeze on development approval costs in the Halifax Regional Municipality by three years, moving the expiry date to November 9, 2029. The measure aligns with federal infrastructure funding requirements while allowing consumer price index-based adjustments to continue.
The Mahone Bay Community Land Co-operative and Solterre Design are planning two co-op housing developments totaling more than 80 units in Lunenburg and Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, to address severe housing shortages and rising prices on the South Shore.
Florida voters passed a constitutional amendment by a 62-per-cent majority that increases homestead exemptions for residents while capping tax increases on non-homestead properties at 5 per cent. The measure shifts the property-tax burden to non-residents, particularly Canadian snowbirds who are the top group of foreign property owners in the state.
An annual point-in-time count in Halifax identified 1,078 people experiencing homelessness, a drop of 72 from last year. While targeted provincial investments have reduced reliance on hotels and transition houses, 164 people remain unsheltered, increasingly sleeping alone outdoors or in vehicles.
The number of families staying in provincially funded hotel rooms in Nova Scotia has fallen from 81 in August 2025 to 19, a decrease of more than 76 per cent. The provincial government attributes the reduction to expanded housing supports, including supportive housing and the Master Lease Program.
On October 28, the Nova Scotia government announced amendments to the Halifax Regional Municipality's planning regulations to speed up housing construction. The changes include allowing residential buildings in zones that permit hotels and long-term care homes, removing barriers for mass timber buildings up to 12 storeys, and updating planning documents by mid-2027. While Mayor Andy Fillmore praised the measures, Councillor Kathryn Morse warned they could create future challenges by forcing development in wildfire emergency access areas.
The Bank of Canada increased its benchmark interest rate from 2.25% to 2.5% on Oct. 29, citing concerns over high oil prices. The move has shifted mortgage preferences and prompted market expectations of further hikes through 2027.
Nova Scotia Housing Minister John White approved four development agreements in Halifax Special Planning Areas during October. The most contentious permits early site clearing and blasting at the Sandy Lake site in Bedford before housing plans are finalized, drawing criticism from environmental advocates and raising concerns about infrastructure costs and local authority.
On October 28, 2026, Nova Scotia announced amendments to the Minimum Planning Requirement Regulations under the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter. The changes strengthen residential zoning allowances, remove barriers to mass timber buildings up to 12 storeys, and set deadlines for HRM to update planning documents.
The Bank of Canada raised interest rates by 25 basis points, increasing costs for floating-rate mortgage holders. Several banks responded by raising prime and fixed mortgage rates despite falling fixed funding costs. Market pricing suggests three more hikes could come next year as inflation is projected to hover around three percent in 2027.
On October 30, 2026, the Government of Canada announced a $130 million top-up through the Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy, bringing total funding for Inuit Treaty Organizations to $327.8 million over five years.
The Bank of Canada raised its main interest rate by 25 basis points to 2.5 per cent, the first hike in three years, which is expected to increase mortgage costs and slow residential real estate sales. Despite this, high-value properties across Canada—including a Toronto home, luxury cottages in Ontario, a renovated boutique hotel in British Columbia, and a converted Gothic church in New Brunswick—continue to attract buyers and developers.
The Nova Scotia government has directed the Halifax Regional Municipality to adopt amendments to its Minimum Planning Requirements by 2027, aiming to speed up housing construction. While Mayor Andy Fillmore welcomed the changes, critics argue the province is overstepping municipal authority and risking long-term costs and environmental harm.
The Nova Scotia government has ordered Halifax to implement four zoning and construction amendments to speed up housing development, including allowing housing in all city zones and raising the mid-rise height threshold for mass timber. While Mayor Andy Fillmore welcomed the mandate as a helpful shortcut, some councillors criticized it as provincial overreach that bypasses local planning and poses safety risks.
Allied Properties Real Estate Investment Trust has cut its monthly cash distribution by 90 per cent, marking its second payout reduction in the past year. The move is expected to boost annual cash flow by $126 million as the REIT focuses on repaying $4 billion in debt and accelerating property sales.
The Bank of Canada lifted its key interest rate to 2.5 per cent, the first change in nearly a year, amid concerns that high oil prices from the Iran war could fuel broader inflation. The hike threatens Canada's stagnant housing market, particularly for buyers with variable-rate mortgages.
The federal government is challenging Federal Court decisions that found it had a legal duty to provide adequate housing and safe drinking water to remote First Nations communities in Manitoba, including Shamattawa, St. Theresa Point, and Sandy Lake.
The Bank of Canada increased its policy rate by 25 basis points to 2.5 per cent on Wednesday, prompting major banks to raise prime rates to 4.70 per cent. Governor Tiff Macklem cited persistent inflation driven largely by fuel costs and warned further hikes could follow.
The Bank of Canada has raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 2.5 per cent, the first increase in three years. The move is expected to further cool a residential real estate market already weakened by economic uncertainty and rising mortgage costs.
The Bank of Canada hiked its policy rate by 25 basis points to 2.5 per cent, its first increase in over three years, citing inflation concerns tied to high energy prices. The move comes as Toronto home sales and benchmark prices decline, with real estate professionals divided on how higher borrowing costs will affect buyers and sellers.
The Bank of Canada increased its benchmark overnight rate by 25 basis points to 2.5 per cent on October 28, 2026, citing elevated energy prices driven by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The central bank revised its inflation forecast upward and signaled further hikes may be needed, while emphasizing caution due to trade uncertainties.
On October 28, 2026, the Province of Nova Scotia announced amendments to the Minimum Planning Requirement Regulations under the Halifax Regional Municipality Charter. The changes mandate residential zoning where hotels are permitted, remove design barriers for mass timber buildings up to 12 storeys, and set adoption deadlines for HRM through mid-2027.
National Bank of Canada economist Daren King warns that Canada's real estate sector could face additional downward pressure over the next two years if federal immigration reductions proceed, as unsold new home inventory hits record highs and sales continue to decline.
Halifax Regional Council unanimously approved amendments to planning and land-use rules, adjusting Citadel rampart sightline requirements to let Grafton Developments add six units to a 15-storey building and convert an adjacent office tower into residential space.
Nationally leading fixed mortgage rates in Canada rose slightly this week amid inflation concerns, even as lender funding costs held steady. Borrowers continue to favor variable-rate mortgages, though the share of prime borrowers choosing them has dipped month-over-month.
With more than one million Canadian households facing mortgage renewals this year, rising bond yields have pushed fixed rates significantly above variable options. Inquiries for variable-rate mortgages have surged, though most borrowers still prefer the budget certainty of fixed terms.
