One of the final opportunities to speak out on the capital city’s plan to accelerate housing construction and allow for higher-density structures where rules would normally restrict such buildings comes tomorrow night.

There will be a public engagement session at City Hall to explain the changes and hear from people interested in providing feedback.

There will be a public consultation in-person at City Hall 7 p.m. May 22 and a Zoom 7pm the 23rd. The deadline for public comments is May 28th – not long since the list of proposed changes itself is 38 pages long and the regulations themselves are 177 pages! https://t.co/NJue6g1txF

— Happy City St.John's (@HappyCitySJ) May 12, 2024

David Brake, the executive director of Happy City, says the clause which will allow four-plexes in some situations is getting a lot of attention from the public. He agrees with council that there is a significant need for more dwellings in the region, but calculates that they would have to triple the current pace of construction. That is a big ask, he concludes.

Brake says the provincial government will have to give the city more leeway in what it chooses to do instead of having to go back to the province every time.

There will be a virtual session on housing the next evening with the deadline for written submissions being May 28.