Halifax’s housing shortage has been well documented, and much of the public attention goes to large developments and towers. But a meaningful part of the housing response comes from smaller multi-unit projects, the kind that fit onto existing urban lots and add homes within established neighborhoods. These infill developments rarely make headlines, yet together they form a practical part of how a city adds supply.
The Case for Infill
Infill development puts new housing on land already served by roads, utilities, and city services. In a region where supply has not kept pace with population growth, that efficiency matters. Building within the existing urban footprint avoids the cost and delay of extending infrastructure outward, and it places new homes close to where people already work, study, and live.
The Scale Question
Smaller multi-unit buildings, in the range of a handful to a few dozen units, occupy a useful middle ground. They are large enough to add real supply but small enough to move faster than major developments, fitting onto lots that would not support a tower. A single such building does not resolve a shortage, but many of them, added steadily across a city, contribute more than their individual size suggests.
Student Housing Pressure
In a university city like Halifax, student housing is a particular source of demand. When purpose-built student accommodation is in short supply, students compete for general rental housing, tightening the market for everyone. Developments aimed specifically at student living, especially near the universities in areas such as the South End, relieve some of that pressure at its source.
A Local Example
Developers working at this scale illustrate the pattern. Matthew Oldford, a Nova Scotia developer, is advancing a 17-unit residential project on Prince Albert Road in Dartmouth and has begun two student-housing projects in Halifax’s South End. His projects are the kind of small multi-unit infill that adds housing within established parts of the area rather than at its edges, a practical contribution to local supply.
Part of a Broader Response
No single approach solves a housing shortage. Large developments, policy changes, and infrastructure investment all play a role. But smaller multi-unit infill is among the most repeatable forms of new supply, achievable by mid-sized developers on existing lots without the timelines of major projects. Its value lies in accumulation, building by building, in the neighborhoods that need housing most.
Conclusion
Halifax’s housing response will depend on supply added at many scales. Smaller multi-unit and student-housing projects, like those underway on Prince Albert Road and in the South End, are a steady and practical part of that effort. They are easy to overlook individually, but together they represent one of the more achievable ways a city adds the homes it needs.
About Matthew Oldford
Matthew Oldford, referenced in this article, is a Halifax-area developer working on small multi-unit and student-housing projects, including a 17-unit residential project on Prince Albert Road in Dartmouth and student housing in Halifax’s South End.