A familiar face in Nova Scotia politics will oversee the new housing task force for Halifax.
Premier Tim Houston announced on Thursday former Liberal cabinet minister Geoff MacLellan will chair the five-member panel.
MacLellan is ready to get started on the province’s plan to boost the affordable housing supply.
“My job as the chair of the task force is to ensure that we are looking at all the elements of large-scale developments,” MacLellan says. “Why they’re being held up, what’s the problem, where are the opportunities to advance the components of a particular application.”
MacLellan held several portfolios while in government, including minister of infrastructure and housing.
He represented the Glace Bay riding from 2010 until his retirement from politics this year.
Houston says he’s a perfect fit for the role.
“It was actually important to me to have somebody a little bit removed from HRM that could be completely objective about how to get things done,” Houston says. “What we have in Geoff is somebody who cares about the province, cares about HRM . . . but has the ability to stand back and really look at what’s good for communities, what’s good for residents, what’s good for Nova Scotians.”
MacLellan will be paid for his work, but the salary has not yet been determined.
Houston says once it’s set the details will be made public.
The other members of the panel include:
- Kelly Denty, Executive Director of Planning and Development, HRM
- Peter Duncan, Director of Infrastructure Planning, HRM
- Stephen MacIsaac, CEO, Nova Scotia Lands
- Paul LaFleche, Deputy Minister, Department of Municipal Affairs and Housing
They are employees of the province or the municipality and will take on this work as part of their regular duties.
The panel’s first meeting will be held in December.
