As municipal elections approach in October 2024, Building Inclusive Communities: A Policy Agenda for Nova Scotia Municipalities that Leaves No One Behind lays out ways to turn the values of social and economic justice into concrete policy realities to improve people’s lives in communities across this province. 

The report contains policy recommendations for incoming municipal councils to consider in six key areas, on issues including publicly-managed services, transit, housing, climate change, taxation, wages, and more. For example, the report recommends that municipalities move toward providing free public transit, support building 30,000+ new affordable homes, and save money by putting an end to ineffective contracting-out and privatization. The report also highlights the urgent action required at the municipal level to address and mitigate climate change’s impacts, and steps municipalities can take to be more prepared for climate change.

Building Inclusive Communities includes sets of questions that residents can ask candidates running in municipal elections about their values and priorities, and how they would shape the future of their communities should they be elected to office.