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Housing & Homelessness

ERRATUM

In the Funding and Programs for Women’s Shelters note, errors have been corrected in the Background section:

  • “For example, the now $16.1 billion Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) provides capital contributions and low-cost loans for new construction and repair and renewal of existing shelters, including via the new $1 billion Rapid Housing Sub-Stream.” should read “For example, the now $15.9 billion Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) provides capital contributions and low-cost loans for new construction and repair and renewal of existing shelters, including via the $1 billion Rapid Housing Sub-Stream.”.

This error has been corrected in the English HTML version of the note.

  1. National Housing Strategy
  2. Build Canada Homes
  3. Housing Accelerator Fund
  4. Housing Design Catalogue
  5. Canada Rental Protection Fund
  6. Development Charges
  7. Affordable and Non-Market Housing
  8. Housing for Young Canadians
  9. Indigenous and Northern Housing
  10. Toronto and Vancouver Housing Markets
  11. Federal Homelessness Programming
  12. Funding and Programs for Women’s Shelters
  13. Housing and Immigration

National Housing Strategy

Issue / question

What are the key accomplishments of the National Housing Strategy?

Suggested response

  • Since 2017, the Government of Canada has provided more than $115 billion in funding through the National Housing Strategy so more people living in Canada have access to safe, affordable and inclusive housing.
  • As of September 30, 2025, National Housing Strategy programs, like the Apartment Construction Loan Program, the Affordable Housing Fund, and the Co-op Housing Development Program, have committed over $74 billion to support the creation of over 183,000 new units and the repair of over 328,000 units.
  • To date, more than $4.4 billion in federal funding has been committed through bilateral agreements that is delivered by the provinces and territories. As of March 31, 2025, this funding has supported the repair of over 151,000 units of social housing and the maintenance of over 308,000 units of social housing.

Background

  • Launched in 2017, the National Housing Strategy (NHS) is currently a 10-year, $115+ billion plan to give more people in Canada a place to call home.
  • The NHS sets ambitious targets, including to reduce chronic homelessness in Canada by 50%, and take as many as 580,000 households out of housing need. The NHS is also targeting the creation of up to 240,000 new housing units and 300,000 repaired or renewed housing units.
  • The NHS includes a range of complementary programs and initiatives that address diverse needs across the entire housing continuum such as:
    • The Apartment Construction Loan Program provides $55 billion in loans to boost the construction of purpose-built rental.
    • The Affordable Housing Fund provides approximately $16 billion in loans and contributions for new and repaired affordable and community housing. This includes a $1.5 billion top-up in loans for the Community Housing Sub-Stream supporting the creation of more than 5,000 new units.
    • Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy provides $5 billion in funding to urban, Indigenous, rural and remote communities to help them address their local homelessness needs.
    • The Co-op Housing Development Program provides $1.5 billion in loans and contributions to support the development of new rental co-op housing.
    • The Housing Accelerator Fund provides $4.4 billion in direct funding to municipalities that take action to reduce the restrictive bureaucracy that will help boost housing supply.
  • Through the NHS, the federal government has bilateral agreements with all provinces and territories totaling approximately $15.7 billion in cost-matched funding from 2018-19 to 2027-28. This includes:
    • $8.6 billion Canada Community Housing Initiative
    • $4.8 billion Canada Housing Benefit
    • $2.2 billion Provinces and Territories Priorities Housing Initiative
    • $300 million (federal funding, not cost-matched) in Northern Funding
  • The NHS respects the Government of Canada’s commitment to working on a nation-to-nation, Inuit-to-Crown, government-to-government basis with Indigenous peoples, which is why Indigenous Services Canada, with support from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, engaged with First Nations, Métis Nation, and Inuit partners to develop distinctions-based housing strategies.
  • The NHS is anchored in the National Housing Strategy Act, which requires the Minister of Housing to develop and maintain a national housing strategy.

Build Canada Homes

Issue / question

What is Build Canada Homes?

Suggested response

  • The Government of Canada is stepping up with a bold approach to increase housing supply and has launched Build Canada Homes — a new federal agency that will build affordable housing at scale.
  • With an initial capital investment of $13 billion, Build Canada Homes will bring together financing and partnerships to streamline development timelines, leverage public lands, and reduce barriers to build affordable homes for low- and middle-income Canadians.
  • This new federal agency will harness public-private collaboration, deploy modern methods of construction, and catalyze the creation of an entirely new Canadian housing industry.
  • Build Canada Homes has a mandate to move quickly and will prioritize development on six federal sites to build 4,000 factory-built homes – with additional capacity of up to 45,000 units across its current portfolio.

Background

  • Build Canada Homes is a new federal agency that finances and builds large scale affordable housing developments.
  • It works primarily with non-market housing providers to deliver affordable housing options that serve a large segment of the working population, as well as students and seniors living on fixed income that are priced out of the market. Build Canada Homes also acts as a developer, building on land, or working with other partners to develop underutilized public land.
  • As it conducts these activities, Build Canada Homes will help transform Canada’s housing industry by generating demand for new and innovative methods of construction that reduce build time, cost per unit, or amount of resources (materials/workers) needed to get more homes built faster.
  • Build Canada Homes will partner on and lead developments of affordable housing projects, and by using public lands, take land costs out of the equation. Build Canada Homes will leverage sites already listed on the Canada Public Land Bank and other federal sites from across departments.
  • In its first six projects on federal land, Build Canada Homes will deploy a “direct-build” approach, overseeing and leading construction projects focused on affordable mixed-income communities. This first tranche of sites will be in Dartmouth, Longueuil, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Edmonton.
  • To help protect existing affordable rental housing, the $1.5 billion Canada Rental Protection Fund will be launched under Build Canada Homes. This initiative will support the community housing sector in acquiring at-risk rental apartment buildings, ensuring they remain affordable over the long term. It also aligns with Build Canada Homes’ broader mandate to grow the supply of affordable and non-market housing – not only by building new homes, but also by preserving the ones on which Canadians already rely.
  • Build Canada Homes will deploy $1 billion to build transitional and supportive housing for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. It will collaborate with key provincial, territorial, municipal, and Indigenous partners to pair these federal investments with employment and health care supports.
  • Build Canada Homes will partner with the Nunavut Housing Corporation to build over 700 public, affordable, and supportive housing units. Approximately 30% of the units are expected to be built off-site, using innovative construction methods such as factory-built housing.
  • What makes Build Canada Homes different is how it works:
    • Unlocking multi-year pipelines of projects through the portfolio approach,
    • Leveraging modern methods of construction such as factory-built housing, and
    • Building on public lands to deliver more affordable homes faster.
  • By combining flexible financing, access to land, and development expertise under one roof, Build Canada Homes will make it simpler and faster to get big projects off the ground. Introducing early federal financing will decrease project risk and incentivize private investment.
  • Build Canada Homes will act as a one-stop-shop for proponents at every phase of the development process, working in close partnership with developers, investors, manufacturers, other orders of government and Indigenous partners to get housing financed and built.

Housing Accelerator Fund

Issue / question

How will the Housing Accelerator Fund increase housing supply?

Suggested response

  • This government is investing $4.4 billion, through the Housing Accelerator Fund, to eliminate barriers to development and build more homes faster.
  • More than 200 communities across Canada are benefitting from this funding. For example, in Edmonton, the Fund has helped to streamline approvals by implementing an online tool that allows some homebuilders to apply for a development permit and start building on the same day.
  • This government is committed to delivering on this program. It is expected to lead to an estimated 800,000 permitted new homes in towns, cities, and Indigenous communities across Canada.

Background

  • The Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) was announced as part of Budget 2022, with an initial $4 billion in funding (over five years) until 2026-27 and a target to fast-track permits for at least 100,000 housing units over the next three years and lead to the creation of over 800,000 permitted homes over the next decade. Budget 2024 announced an additional $400 million in funding (bringing the total to $4.4 billion) until 2027-28.
  • HAF encourages local governments to implement lasting initiatives such as growing housing supply faster than the historical average, increasing densification, speeding up approval times, tackling NIMBYism, establishing inclusionary zoning bylaws, and encouraging public transit-oriented development. The application window for the second round of funding was open over the summer of 2024. Most agreements have now been finalized and will enable at least 12,000 more housing units.
  • Incentive funding can be used for investments in HAF action plans, affordable housing, housing-related infrastructure, or community-related infrastructure that supports housing. The framework for determining the amount of incentive funding includes base and top-up funding and an affordable housing bonus.
  • The Government of Canada signed 241 agreements under the first and second rounds of funding. This includes two agreements between the governments of Canada and Quebec, with a total contribution of $992 million to accelerate the construction of residential units.
  • The 2024 Fall Economic Statement listed all the communities with HAF agreements from the first round and committed to developing a public progress tracker. Communities’ first annual progress reports were due between November 2024 and March 2025 and are being posted on Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s website.
  • Top performing communities were eligible to receive additional funding, up to 10% of the value of their original agreement, from the initial round’s uncommitted funding. To be considered a top performer, communities met their unit forecasts, delivered on their HAF Action Plan commitments for the first year, and proposed additional initiatives to accelerate housing. Communities selected were announced in March 2025.
  • Based on successful applications to date, a list of 10 HAF best practices has been developed and was updated for Round 2. Municipalities are encouraged to align with these best practices when developing their plans.

Housing Design Catalogue

Issue / question

What is the Housing Design Catalogue meant to achieve?

Suggested response

  • The Housing Design Catalogue provides standardized designs that will help accelerate home building projects across Canada.
  • On October 15, 2025, the full technical design packages for the Housing Design Catalogue were released and are now ready for use.
  • The catalogue encourages gentle density and infill development and can help reduce the time and cost of developing construction plans, simplify and accelerate approvals and builds, and create opportunities to leverage new and innovative construction methods.
  • Local governments can make it even easier for builders and homeowners to use standardized plans by pre-reviewing designs and streamlining approvals. Over a dozen cities have already committed to supporting the designs in the catalogue.

Background

  • The Housing Design Catalogue is part of the toolbox of innovation that aligns with the Government of Canada’s goal of building more homes, faster.
  • The Government of Canada’s intention to create a new Housing Design Catalogue was first announced in December 2023. Budget 2024 committed $11.6 million in funding for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to support the development of the catalogue.
  • The Housing Design Catalogue was created in partnership with regional architecture and engineering teams. Feedback was also gathered from provinces, territories, and select municipalities.
  • After an initial release of the Housing Design Catalogue in March 2025, the complete technical design packages and user guidance were launched on October 15, 2025. The packages include architectural and engineering drawings, cost estimates, building performance reports, energy reporting templates, and a user guide for over 50 regionally tailored, standardized designs.
  • While previous design catalogues (of the late 1940s to the 1970s) primarily focused on single-family home designs, the new Housing Design Catalogue includes a variety of housing types, including innovative designs for low-rise structures: rowhouses, fourplexes, sixplexes, and accessory dwelling units.
  • When combined with streamlined local approvals, using standardized designs can speed up the construction process of new housing.
  • Standardized designs also support prefabricated and off-site construction methods for components, such as panelized walls, engineered trusses and bathroom pods, as the repetitive elements simplify and speed up delivery and installation.
  • The federal government will continue to engage provinces and territories under the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund, including collaborating on the Housing Design Catalogue and standardized designs.

Canada Rental Protection Fund

Issue / question

How does the Canada Rental Protection Fund preserve the affordability of existing homes and support the acquisition of additional affordable rental units by community housing providers?

Suggested response

  • This government is taking action to protect and grow Canada’s non-market rental housing supply, through the Canada Rental Protection Fund, which will be launched under Build Canada Homes.
  • The Fund will provide $1.5 billion in capital, and will leverage impact, philanthropic and other private capital, to help non-profits, co-ops and other community housing providers acquire buildings and keep rents affordable over the long term.
  • The Fund will help strengthen and grow Canada’s community housing sector, enabling it to provide more affordable housing options for Canadians.

Background

  • Rental affordability in Canada is a significant issue. The growth in purpose-built rental housing has not kept up with high population growth, so that renting has become less affordable for lower- and middle-income Canadians.
  • A strong and growing community housing sector can be an effective means to preserve and add affordability in the market because it is mission-driven rather than profit-maximizing. Rent tied to cost of operations and maintenance grows slower than rents of privately-owned rental units driven by profit motives. Acquiring existing rental homes at risk of falling out of affordability can be an important tool for safeguarding affordability across the country.
  • Budget 2024 initially announced the $1.5 billion Canada Rental Protection Fund (CRPF) to create a new source of low-cost capital that will allow non-profit organizations, co-ops, and other community housing providers to acquire units and preserve rents over the long term. On September 14, 2025, the federal government announced that the Fund would be launched under Build Canada Homes, highlighting its alignment with Build Canada Homes’ broader mandate to grow the supply of affordable and nonmarket housing – not only by building new homes, but also by preserving existing housing on which Canadians already rely.
  • Co-led and co-funded by the federal government and other partners, the Fund will mobilize investments and financing from the charitable sector and the private sector to protect and grow affordable housing in Canada. The Fund will also help grow and strengthen the community housing sector overall, enabling it to support more affordable housing options for Canadians.
  • Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada has been engaging with stakeholders to inform program design since spring 2024, and held a Call for Applications process from March 7 to May 29, 2025, to select one or more arm’s length organizations to support the CRPF. It builds on several existing programs and measures which help support the community housing sector, including:
    • The $1.5 billion Co-operative Housing Development Program (CHDP), which was launched on June 6, 2024. The first funding window closed on September 15, 2024.
    • The CHDP will fund up to 100% of the costs for eligible new residential spaces or conversion of non-residential spaces.
    • The $15.9 billion Affordable Housing Fund, which supports the creation of affordable rental housing and the repair and renewal of existing housing. It is designed to attract partnerships and investments to develop projects that meet a broad spectrum of housing needs, from shelters to mixed-income and mixed-use rentals;
    • The $4 billion Rapid Housing Initiative, which is fast-tracking the construction of 15,500 new affordable homes for people experiencing homelessness or in severe housing need by 2026; and
    • The Federal Community Housing Initiative, a $600+ million initiative that provides funding to federally administered community housing providers to stabilize their operations, subsidize rents for tenants in need, and maintain the current federally administered community housing stock.

Development Charges

Issue / question

What is the Government of Canada doing about development charges?

Suggested response

  • This government is committed to making the housing market work better. This includes reducing the burden of development charges on homebuilders, while ensuring municipalities can build the infrastructure needed to support this growth.
  • Budget 2025 announced measures to reduce the impact of development charges through the Provincial and Territorial Stream of the new Build Communities Strong Fund, which will provide $17.2 billion in federal infrastructure funding over 10 years.
  • Provinces and territories will be able to direct funding toward the type of housing-enabling infrastructure that is often paid for using development charges—things like roads, or water and wastewater infrastructure. This will allow them to substantially reduce these charges and avoid introducing other similar taxes.
  • Federal action on development charges is one of the ways this government will increase housing supply and affordability, alongside other measures, such as Build Canada Homes and the elimination of the GST for some first-time homebuyers.

Background

  • Development charges are fees levied by municipalities on new development to pay for new and expanded infrastructure needed to support growing communities.
  • The use of development charges varies significantly across the country, with municipalities in Ontario and British Columbia relying most heavily on this revenue tool. Most provinces and territories (PTs) have legislation that allow municipalities to collect development charges, but not all municipalities do so.
  • Provincial and territorial legislation also determines the specific services for which municipalities can collect development charges, which can include drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, solid waste/waste management, transportation, parkland, transit, recreation and community, and emergency services. Some jurisdictions include many more categories of services in their development charge frameworks than others, and, within PTs, municipalities will use development charges for different needs.
  • Building infrastructure is essential to provide the services needed for new housing to be built. However, development charges have increased significantly in parts of the country in recent years. According to the 2024 Canadian Home Builders’ Association Municipal Benchmarking Study, development charges and related taxes and fees have increased by an average of $27,500 for a unit in a low-rise development and by an average $3,000 per unit in a high-rise development since the 2022 Study.
  • Budget 2025 announced the Government of Canada’s intent to launch the $51 billion Build Communities Strong Fund over 10 years. The Build Communities Strong Fund will include a $17.2 billion over 10 years Provincial and Territorial Stream for funding provincial and territorial infrastructure projects and priorities. To access funding under this stream, provincial and territorial governments will be asked to cost-match federal dollars and substantially reduce development charges. Of the total $17.2 billion, $5 billion over three years will be dedicated to a Health Infrastructure Fund and will be exempt from the requirement to reduce development charges.
  • Beyond taking action to reduce the burden of development charges for housing developers, the Government of Canada is supporting growth-enabling infrastructure through investment in the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund, which provides federal funding to PTs and municipalities for drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and solid waste infrastructure to enable housing development. The Canada Community-Building Fund and the Canada Public Transit Fund also provide funding for infrastructure needed to support growing communities.
  • Budget 2025 also announced that the Canada Community-Building Fund will be rebranded as the Community Stream under the Build Communities Strong Fund and that the Build Communities Strong Fund will draw from repurposed resources from the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund.

Affordable and Non-Market Housing

Issue / question

What is the Government of Canada doing to build more affordable housing?

Suggested response

  • Helping Canadians access affordable and non-market housing is a key priority for this government.
  • Building on the success of previous federal initiatives like the National Housing Strategy and Canada’s Housing Plan, this government will provide strong leadership to scale up affordable housing.
  • Through Build Canada Homes, this government will support affordable, non-market housing using modern and sustainable methods of construction, predictable and scalable financing solutions, and collaborative partnerships with all levels of government, Indigenous communities, and the not-for-profit and private sectors.

Background

  • Non-market housing, or community housing, provides affordable homes with below-market rents that grow at a slower pace relative to the market (i.e., generally in line with operating costs, rather than market rental rates). Current supply of non-market housing is not enough to keep up with demand. Given the sector’s growth rate is less than half that of market housing, the share of non-market housing decreases each year.
  • In 2021, 47% of renter households in Canada reported experiencing one or more of the following challenges: housing cost over 30% of their income, housing that was not suitable for the size of their household, or housing in need of repairs.
  • Nearly half of non-market housing was built before 1980, with 87% built prior to 1996.
  • The sector is highly fragmented, with about half of the total units managed by several thousand small providers, each of which typically owns fewer than 100 units. The largest 40 providers, typically provincial housing corporations and larger municipalities, own and manage the other half of the stock.
  • Much of the current non-market housing stock relies on ongoing support from all levels of government, through legacy operating agreements and rent subsidies. Current investments have preserved existing non-market housing and helped grow its stock, but not to the scale needed to help restore housing affordability. The Government of Canada’s investments in non-market housing include:
    • The Affordable Housing Fund, which is providing $15.9 billion over 11 years in long-term, low-cost repayable and forgivable loans to build new affordable housing and to repair and renew existing affordable and community housing;
    • The Co-operative Housing Development Program, which is providing $1.5 billion over seven years in low-cost repayable and forgivable loans to build a new generation of non-profit co-op housing;
    • The Federal Community Housing Initiative, a $618 million investment to help preserve 48,000 community housing units;
    • The Canada Community Housing Initiative ($4.3 billion in federal funding with an additional $4.3 billion cost-matched by provinces and territories) to preserve and expand community housing; and
    • The Canada Rental Protection Fund which is a $1.5 billion investment to help the community housing sector acquire rental apartment buildings and preserve affordability of rents over the long term.

Housing for Young Canadians

Issue / question

How is the Government of Canada supporting housing for young Canadians?

Suggested response

  • This government recognizes the impact of the housing crisis on young Canadians and is taking action to support their access to affordable homes.
  • This includes launching Build Canada Homes to support the development of affordable housing at scale as well as moving forward with measures such as the elimination of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) for first-time home buyers on new homes up to $1 million and lowering the GST for first-time home buyers on homes between $1 million and $1.5 million.
  • These efforts complement existing National Housing Strategy (NHS) initiatives, which place a significant emphasis on addressing the housing needs of populations with unique needs, including youth.
  • As of September 30, 2025, NHS programs have supported the construction of over 1,000 new housing units targeted specifically to young adults.

Background

  • The Government of Canada’s National Housing Strategy (NHS) places significant emphasis on addressing the housing needs of populations with unique needs, including young adults. As of September 30, 2025, NHS programs have supported the construction of over 1,000 new housing units targeted specifically to young adults. Initiatives under the NHS that benefit young Canadians include:
    • The $55 billion Apartment Construction Loan Program provides low-cost financing to support the development of rental housing, including a stream to enable development of on- and off-campus student housing.
    • The $1.5 billion Co-op Housing Development Program provides forgivable loans along with low-interest repayable loans to build rental co-operative housing. This program supports a new generation of non-profit co-operative housing.
  • In addition, the Government of Canada has removed the Goods and Services Tax on development of new purpose-built rental, including student residences to accelerate the construction of affordable housing near campuses and provide more housing options for students.
  • The Government has also taken action to make housing costs more affordable for Canadians, including young Canadians. These include:
    • Implementing the First Home Savings Account, a registered account which helps Canadians save up to $40,000 to purchase a qualifying home with tax-deductible contributions and tax-free withdrawals.
    • Changes to mortgage insurance rules that increase the price cap for insured mortgages to $1.5 million, to help Canadians qualify for a mortgage with a downpayment below 20%, and to expand the availability of 30-year mortgage amortizations to all first-time home buyers and to all buyers of new builds.
    • Launching the Blueprint for a Renters’ Bill of Rights, which calls on provinces, territories, and housing partners to support fair and transparent renting practices.
  • As part of efforts to double housing starts, the federal government launched Build Canada Homes (BCH), Canada’s new federal agency that will build and finance affordable housing at scale, while catalyzing a more productive homebuilding industry. By combining access to federal lands, development expertise and flexible financing under one roof, BCH will make it simpler and faster to create new housing supply for all Canadians, including youth.

Indigenous and Northern Housing

Issue / question

How is the Government of Canada working with Indigenous communities to help address housing needs, particularly in urban, rural and northern areas?

Suggested response

  • This government is working with Indigenous communities to address the unique housing needs of Indigenous Peoples, including in urban, rural and northern areas.
  • The federal government is providing support for distinctions-based housing strategies and more than $2.2 billion in funding exclusively for Indigenous and northern housing under the National Housing Strategy.
  • In partnership with Indigenous communities and housing providers, this government will continue to directly support building housing for Indigenous peoples across the country.

Background

  • The Government of Canada has established permanent bilateral mechanisms with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis leaders to identify joint priorities, engage on policy and monitor progress. Along with other tables, these mechanisms support overall joint work on Indigenous housing. Budget 2025 announced that the Minister of Indigenous Services will coordinate a cross-government Indigenous Housing Strategy following engagement with First Nations on-reserve, Inuit Treaty Organisations, Métis governments, and Modern Treaty holders and Self-Governing Indigenous Governments.
  • Federal distinctions-based housing funding is delivered by several federal organizations. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) provide funding to eligible First Nations communities for housing programs and services. Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) provides funding for the implementation of the Inuit Nunangat Housing Strategy and the Métis Nation Housing Sub-Accord, as well as to Modern Treaty and Self-governing First Nations.
  • The $724.1 million Indigenous Shelter and Transitional Housing Initiative was launched in November 2021 to support the construction and operations of additional shelters and transitional homes for Indigenous women, children, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals fleeing gender-based violence, including in urban areas and in the North.
    • As of September 30, 2025, funding has been committed under this initiative for the construction of 38 new shelters and 39 new transitional homes.
  • To address Indigenous housing needs in urban, rural and northern areas, the Government of Canada is making investments in the Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy (U.R.N. Strategy), announced in December 2023.
    • A majority of the U.R.N. Strategy funding is to be delivered via a National Indigenous Housing Centre. A Request for Proposals was issued in early 2024 to identify a top-ranking proponent. Negotiations are ongoing through fall 2025.
    • Through ISC and CIRNAC, the remaining U.R.N. Strategy funding is being advanced directly to First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners to support their members, beneficiaries and citizens living in urban, rural and northern areas.

Toronto and Vancouver Housing Markets

Issue / question

Toronto and Vancouver housing sales are showing signs of weakness, which could lead to declines in homebuilding.

Suggested response

  • Canadians are facing an uncertain economy, which is contributing to a decline in home sales in cities where homes are needed the most, including Vancouver and Toronto.
  • To increase housing supply, this government is advancing a number of key measures, including eliminating the GST for first-time home buyers on new homes up to $1 million; launching Build Canada Homes to increase the supply of affordable housing and leveraging new technologies to build faster and at a lower cost; and working with provinces, territories, and municipalities to reduce development charges.
  • The federal government will continue to work closely with builders and other levels of government to ensure that all of the necessary tools are being leveraged to increase homebuilding across the country.

Background

  • GTA REALTORS reported 6,244 home sales though the multiple listing service system in May 2025 – down by 13.3% compared to May 2024. Greater Vancouver REALTORS reported that residential sales in the region totalled 2,228 in May 2025, an 18.5% decrease from the 2,733 sales recorded in May 2024.
  • Declining home sales can lead to declining home starts.
  • In Toronto, 55% of pre-construction condominium units went unsold in the first quarter of 2025, marginally below the record high of 56% at the end of 2024. This level of unsold units presents a significant challenge for developers seeking funding for their new projects. Lenders typically require a pre-sale threshold of 70% prior to releasing funds.
  • Anecdotal information points to a number of possible issues which may push down housing starts (most notably in condominiums), including significantly lower demand for pre-sales due to heightened economic uncertainty associated with global trade, continued elevated interest rates, reduced investor interest in condominiums in general, expected declines in immigration, foreign worker caps and population growth, limits on purchases by foreign buyers, and elevated construction costs and taxes.
  • Investor profitability in Toronto and Vancouver’s condominium markets is also under pressure, as high interest rates raise carrying costs and flat prices limit equity gains, especially for new investors renting out units.
  • Purpose-built rental starts increased in Toronto and Vancouver in 2023 and 2024, however the rates of increase have not compensated for the decreases in condo starts over those two years. Also to note, other types of starts such as townhouses and row houses have also been declining in those cities(7%-20% declines from start of 2023 to the end of 2024).
  • In the short term, softer market conditions may lower prices, easing pressure on buyers and renters in Canada’s most expensive cities. However, this could come at the cost of a slow-down in new construction, creating greater risk of a rapid price increase in the future.
  • In contrast, other markets are showing encouraging signs of homebuilding, including Calgary and Edmonton.
  • In consideration of the current Toronto and Vancouver housing markets, industry advocates have promoted the federal government’s housing agenda by endorsing action on development charges and GST.

Federal Homelessness Programming

Issue / question

What is the Government of Canada doing to address homelessness?

Suggested response

  • This government is taking a leadership role in preventing and reducing homelessness. Through Reaching Home, the government is investing $5 billion to support coordinated, evidence-based community responses.
  • To respond to increasing unsheltered homelessness and encampments, the $250 million Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative is supporting the deployment of community plans.
  • Build Canada Homes will deploy $1 billion to build transitional and supportive housing for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Background

  • Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy: Launched in 2019 as part of the National Housing Strategy, this program is now a $5 billion investment over nine years, through 2027-28 (including an investment of $1 billion through Budget 2024). Reaching Home provides funding to specific communities through the Designated Communities, Indigenous Homelessness, Rural and Remote Homelessness and Territorial Homelessness streams.
  • As of October 2025, Reaching Home has supported over 9,900 projects since April 2019. Between April 2019 and March 2025:
    • Over 199,000 people received prevention services such as short-term rental assistance or landlord mediation;
    • Over 110,000 people have been assisted in attaining more stable housing;
    • Nearly 48,000 people began receiving income assistance; and
    • Over 18,000 people started new paid employment.
  • The Indigenous Homelessness funding stream allocates funding directly to off reserve organizations that provide culturally appropriate services to Indigenous people experiencing homelessness. The Distinctions-based Approaches stream provides dedicated funding to address specific needs of First Nations, Inuit and Métis individuals.
  • Veteran Homelessness Program: The Services and Supports Stream provides up to $72.9 million in funding for rent supplements and wrap-around services and the Capacity Building Stream provides up to $6.2 million in funding for research on Veteran homelessness and capacity building. 34 projects are in place.
  • Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative: Budget 2024 announced $250 million over two years through 2025-26 to address the urgent issue of unsheltered homelessness. Cost-matched funding agreements have been signed with eight provinces, the three territories, as well as with municipalities in Ontario and Saskatchewan.
  • Build Canada Homes: This new federal agency will build affordable homes, support builders with financing, and encourage innovative building methods – using Canadian technology, workers and lumber, and sustainable building practices. It will focus primarily on non-market housing, supporting a mix of income needs as part of a national effort to double housing construction, restore affordability, and reduce homelessness. As announced on September 14, 2025, Build Canada Homes will deploy $1 billion to build transitional and supportive housing for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Funding and Programs for Women’s Shelters

Issue / question

How is the federal government supporting the creation of women’s shelter spaces?

Suggested response

  • The Government of Canada is committed to providing safe and secure shelter spaces for people fleeing gender-based and domestic violence.
  • So far, over 15,000 shelter spaces and shelters and transitional homes have been created or repaired through the National Housing Strategy.
  • Additionally, the Indigenous Shelter and Transitional Housing Initiative has committed more than $378 million toward the construction of 38 shelters and 39 transitional homes for those fleeing violence.

Background

  • The National Housing Strategy (NHS) prioritizes meeting the needs of vulnerable populations, including women and children fleeing domestic violence. Many NHS initiatives aim to improve access to stable shelter, including shelters and transitional housing, for vulnerable populations. As of September 30, 2025, 15,649 spaces in shelters and transitional homes have been created or repaired through the NHS.
  • For example, the now $15.9 billion Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) provides capital contributions and low-cost loans for new construction and repair and renewal of existing shelters, including via the new $1 billion Rapid Housing Sub-Stream. Through the AHF the Government of Canada plans to help build and maintain at least 4,000 shelter spaces for survivors of family violence by 2028.
  • The NHS aims for at least 25% of the funds allocated under the Strategy to be used to meet the housing needs of women and their children. As of June 2025, 33.7% of all NHS committed funding has gone toward this objective.
  • In the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, the Government of Canada announced a comprehensive Violence Prevention Strategy to expand culturally relevant supports for Indigenous women, their children, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people facing gender-based violence. This strategy allocated $420 million from 2020-2025 to support construction of new shelters and transitional (second stage) housing across Canada for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. Indigenous Services Canada will invest $304.1 million from 2020-2025, and $96.6 million annually, to support operational costs and expand funding for culturally relevant violence prevention activities.
  • Through the Canada Housing Benefit, the federal government has partnered with provinces and territories to co-fund and deliver monthly financial assistance directly to households in need to help them afford housing costs. Funding totals $4.8 billion, cost-matched by federal, provincial and territorial governments.
  • These programs and initiatives are in addition to the nine-year, $5 billion Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy. Reaching Home provides funding to urban, Indigenous, rural and remote communities to help them address their local homelessness needs, which can include funding for shelters and transitional housing. Since 2019, Reaching Home supported 1,581 community-selected projects that included people fleeing domestic violence as a target population, totaling nearly $430 million in funding.

Housing and Immigration

Issue / question

What is the Government of Canada doing to address the impact of high levels of immigration on housing?

Suggested response

  • This government is committed to making housing more affordable, returning overall immigration rates to sustainable levels, and attracting the best talent in the world to help build our economy.
  • By taking bold action to build more homes faster, the federal government is making it easier for Canadians and new immigrants to own or rent a home.
  • This government will continue to calibrate immigration levels with housing supply and demand for other public services, and is committed to fostering a well-managed, responsive, and sustainable immigration system.

Background

  • Canada has experienced unprecedented population growth in recent years, which has increased demand for housing. Statistics Canada indicates that immigration accounted for more than 97% of this growth in 2024. Further, according to estimates from the Parliamentary Budget Officer, in 2024, there were approximately 482,000 new households formed while only 276,000 housing units were completed.
  • In April 2024, the Government of Canada released Solving the Housing Crisis: Canada’s Housing Plan which sets out an ambitious suite of measures. These measures, alongside subsequent announcements, will benefit newcomers and Canadians alike, and include:
    • $1.1 billion over three years for the Interim Housing Assistance Program which helps provincial and municipal governments prevent homelessness for asylum claimants on a cost-sharing basis;
    • $50 million over two years for Canada’s Foreign Credential Recognition Program, with a focus on residential construction to help skilled trades newcomers get more homes built;
    • New funding for affordable housing programs, including the Affordable Housing Fund and a new $1.5 billion Canada Rental Protection Fund;
    • The removal of the Goods and Services Tax on the construction of new rental buildings, including the construction of student residences built by public universities, public colleges, and public-school authorities; and
    • Launching the Blueprints for the Renters’ Bill of Rights and Home Buyers’ Bill of Rights to help protect renters from unfair practices and help make the process of buying a home fairer, simpler, and more transparent.
  • These actions complement immigration measures taken to reduce the volume of temporary and permanent residents:
    • In March 2024, the Government of Canada announced a commitment to decrease the number of temporary residents from 6.5% of Canada’s total population down to 5% by 2026. To reach the reduction in temporary residents, a series of immigration measures have been introduced (e.g., introduction of international student caps).
    • In the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan, released on October 24, 2024, the Government of Canada announced a pause in Canada’s population growth for two years, before returning to growth of 0.8% in 2027. The Plan includes for the first time targets for temporary residents and permanent residents’ admissions. It highlights the importance of ensuring a well-managed, responsive, and sustainable immigration system to help balance housing supply with housing demand.
  • In its mandate letter priorities from May 21, 2025, the federal government committed to making housing more affordable and returning overall immigration rates to sustainable levels – while attracting the best talent in the world to help build our economy.

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