Tracking the 2021 Halifax apartment development boom

The development boom is visible in many areas of Halifax Regional Municipality. What went up in your neighbourhood?

We mapped all of the apartment buildings constructed or finished in HRM in 2021.

While many buildings went up in downtown Halifax, the largest buildings in terms of sheer mass are being built in Bedford.

That’s not surprising, said Nick Ogden, a real estate agent with Press Realty.

“It’s easier to get a permit for a large structure outside of the peninsula than it is on the peninsula. And just because of that you’re seeing Larry Uteck specifically develop so quickly and so large,” Ogden said.

The tallest building is West 22 on Mumford Road, topping out at 22 storeys. Ogden sees development potential in the west end, but also a conflict between new multi-unit buildings and traditional single-unit housing.

“It would be a shame to have these almost century homes torn down,” Ogden said. “But can we have high rises on the main arteries? Let them go. Absolutely,” he said.

Almost all of the apartments listed on the map carry above average rents.

In November, the average rent in Halifax was $1,637 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1,928 for a two-bedroom apartment, according to a Rentals.ca report.

One common rule of thumb in personal finance is to spend 30 per cent or less of your income on rent. In order to afford the average one-bedroom apartment in Halifax, it requires a monthly income of $5,457 and an annual income of $65,480.

Ogden said he gets why the municipality is encouraging so much apartment construction.

“The only way to get affordable housing, period, is to make your supply meet your demand or at least close the gap slightly. So, I can understand why they’re like, just build them. Build them, build them, build them,” Ogden said.

Explore the map to learn more about each property.