Table of Contents

• Executive summary
• Section 1: Introduction to the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
• Section 2: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada’s Sustainable Development Vision
• Section 3: Listening to Canadians
  • What we heard
  • What we did
• Section 4: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada’s Commitments
  • Goal 6: Ensure clean and safe water for all Canadians
  • Goal 9: Foster innovation and green infrastructure in Canada
  • Goal 10: Advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and take action on inequality
  • Goal 11: Improve access to affordable housing, clean air, transportation, parks, and green spaces, as well as cultural heritage in Canada
  • Goal 12: Reduce waste and transition to zero-emission vehicles
  • Goal 13: Take action on climate change and its impacts
• Section 5: Integrating sustainable development

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Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada’s 2023 to 2027 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy

Aussi disponible en français sous le titre : Stratégie ministérielle de développement durable 2023 à 2027 de Logement, Infrastructures et Collectivités Canada

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© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, 2024.

Catalogue No. T91-7E-PDF
ISSN 2819-0181

Executive Summary

Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada^Endnotei (HICC) is proud to support sustainable development across its various programs, projects, and funds, and strives to ensure that Canadians have sustainable, low-carbon, resilient, climate-smart, accessible, and inclusive public infrastructure through all of its investments. The 2023 to 2027 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy (DSDS) outlines HICC’s commitment to an environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable future for Canada.

Through its portfolio, HICC contributes to goals, milestones, and implementation strategies to support sustainable development, as outlined in the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) and relevant to HICC’s mandate. The 2023 to 2027 DSDS highlights how the Department’s programs support the various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). While some areas of the Department’s portfolio touch on multiple SDGs, the DSDS spotlights specific programs under the SDG where they make the greatest impact.

More specifically, the 2023 to 2027 DSDS captures HICC’s departmental actions to support the following SDGs: (6) Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Canadians; (9) Foster Innovation and Green Infrastructure in Canada; (10) Advance Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and Take Action on Equity; (11) Improve Access to Affordable Housing, Clean Air, Transportation, Parks, and Green Spaces, as well as Cultural Heritage; (12) Reduce Waste and Transition to Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEV); and (13) Take Action on Climate Change and its Impacts.

HICC is aligning housing and public infrastructure investments to build more prosperous, socially just, and environmentally healthy communities. Through the delivery of housing and homelessness programming, HICC, in collaboration with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), is contributing to the resiliency and sustainability of communities, as well as helping individuals obtain and maintain affordable housing (SDGs 11).

HICC strives to implement and deliver its portfolio while advancing initiatives that provide clean and safe water, invest in green infrastructure, and address climate change. Among its efforts, HICC has implemented programs and initiatives to ensure that Canadians have access to clean and safe water (SDGs 6). Through program investments and funding delivery, the Department is improving water treatment and storage systems to establish long-term stability and support future improvements.

HICC’s investments in green infrastructure play a critical role in addressing climate change impacts by building resilience and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and pollution (SDGs 9). The Department ensures that Canada invests in projects fuelled by clean technologies that follow climate-resilient codes and standards. Further, HICC seeks to increase the capacity for communities to reduce GHG emissions and mitigate the impacts of natural disasters and extreme weather events, resulting in strengthened climate resilience (SDGs 13).

HICC works with all orders of government, as well as Indigenous organizations and communities to effectively deliver all of our programs (SDGs 10). The Department is advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples in Canada and taking action to reduce inequality by providing direct funding to projects led by and for Indigenous populations and communities.

Lastly, HICC invests in public transit and active transportation to connect Canadians, while driving economic, environmental, and social benefits by providing people with more sustainable access to jobs, schools, services, and recreation, and by supporting housing priorities. Additionally, HICC is strengthening its green procurement criteria by providing helpful guidance, tools, and training to public service employees (SDGs 12).

Section 1: Introduction to the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy

The 2022 to 2026 FSDS presents the Government of Canada’s sustainable development goals and targets, as required by the Federal Sustainable Development Act. This is the first FSDS to be framed using the 17 SDGs of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and provides a balanced view of the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainable development.

In keeping with the purpose of the Act, to ensure decision-making related to sustainable development is more transparent and accountable to Parliament, HICC supports the goals laid out in the FSDS through the activities described in this DSDS.

TheFederal Sustainable Development Actalso sets out seven principles that must be considered in the development of the FSDS and DSDSs. These basic principles have been considered and incorporated in HICC’s DSDS.

To promote coordinated action on sustainable development across the Government of Canada, this DSDS integrates efforts to advance Canada’s implementation of the 2030 Agenda National Strategy, supported by the Global Indicator Framework (GIF) and Canadian Indicator Framework (CIF) targets and indicators. The strategy also captures SDGs initiatives that fall outside the scope of the FSDS to inform the development of Canada’s Annual Report on the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.

Section 2: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada’s Sustainable Development Vision

HICC invests in public infrastructure to foster more inclusive and sustainable Canadian communities, including public transit and housing outcomes to prevent and reduce chronic homelessness.

To achieve this vision, HICC works with provinces and territories, municipalities, Indigenous communities, and other stakeholders to identify local infrastructure priorities and build projects that support sustainable development across communities of all sizes, from rural and remote communities to large cities.

Through investments, HICC will support Canada’s commitments as outlined in the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS). In particular, HICC’s investments will contribute to SDG 6 (Ensure Clean and Safe Water for All Canadians), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

The Government of Canada’s suite of National Housing Strategy (NHS) programs are designed to support the housing needs of Canadians. In addition, infrastructure investments are essential to build healthy communities where all Canadians can thrive. This is why the Department will tie access to infrastructure funding to actions by provinces, territories, and municipalities to increase housing supply and affordability. This will be advanced within the Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF) when agreements with provinces and territories are renewed, as well as future infrastructure programs, which may be introduced during the period covered by this DSDS. As such, there will be an even greater connection between the SDG advanced by HICC’s programs and housing, a key component of SDGs 11.

As set out in this DSDS, HICC will use targeted objectives and implementation strategies to advance the 2022 to 2026 FSDS goals.

Section 3: Listening to Canadians

Following the public consultations on the draft 2022 to 2026 FSDS held from March 11 to July 9, 2022, and as required by the Federal Sustainable Development Act, HICC has considered comments from a broad range of stakeholders. This included input from governments, Indigenous organizations, non-governmental organizations, academics, businesses, and individual Canadians in different age groups and of various backgrounds. HICC supports the federally established sustainable development priorities to respond to issues raised during the public consultations that affect Canadians.

What We Heard

Across the submissions received, HICC identified sustainable development priorities and issues that affect us. These priorities include the following:

• Green infrastructure and innovation – Canadians focus on the importance of constructing and upgrading green infrastructure, and investing in innovative clean technologies that drive Canada’s decarbonization.
• Sustainable cities and communities – Canadians support housing, the electrification of public transportation, and active transportation. Canadians advocated for more ambitious and direct support for public and active transportation that increases safety and service quality, compensates for diminishing intercommunity transit, and prioritizes rural and smaller towns as well as disadvantaged and vulnerable people.
• Reduce waste and transition to zero-emission vehicles - Canadians have expressed the desire for the government to address barriers to the adoption of electric and zero-emission vehicles.
• Climate action – Canadians called for investments in long-term climate change solutions and support to green transition solutions to net zero.
• Green procurement – Canadians want to see the Government of Canada implement net-zero procurement to incentivize companies’ voluntary engagement in the race to net zero.

What We Did

HICC is addressing the priorities and concerns expressed during the public consultation that align with our departmental mandate and role through investments that include:

• Working with provinces, territories, municipalities, and Indigenous communities to ensure federal infrastructure investments enable the construction and rehabilitation of water assets including collection, treatment, and distribution.
• Increasing the overall housing supply, while supporting access to housing that is affordable and strategically located near transit, employment, services, and amenities to meet the diverse needs of all Canadians.
• Supporting retrofits, repairs, or upgrades of existing infrastructure and construction of new community buildings that serve high-need communities across Canada.
• Supporting the construction, expansion, and improvement of public transit infrastructure to enhance its capacity, quality, safety, and accessibility, thereby fostering more sustainable and inclusive communities near transit.
• Improving the capacity and quality of pathways and active transportation infrastructure, while contributing to the quality of life of Canadians and the environment.
• Proactively addressing the concerns of Canadians about climate change by supporting Canada’s path to net-zero emissions and a resilient future by advancing several initiatives including open-access climate toolkits, resilience requirements for funding programs, as well as guidance, standards, and codes for climate resilient and low-carbon infrastructure.

Please find more information on the FSDS public consultation and its results in the FSDS Consultation Report.

Section 4: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada’s Commitments

GOAL 6: ENSURE CLEAN AND SAFE WATER FOR ALL CANADIANS

FSDS Context^Endnoteii:

While Canada’s drinking water is among the safest in the world, access to clean drinking water remains a challenge in some small, remote, and Indigenous communities. Existing drinking water and water treatment systems require ongoing investment to ensure that they meet the needs of Canadians across the country. When Canadians use water resources, they expect that the infrastructure in their community helps to keep the environment clean by preventing pollution of lakes and rivers, preventing water loss and conserving energy. Addressing sources of water pollution and contamination, such as under-treated wastewater and run-off from cities, can help ensure that lakes and rivers continue to provide services and opportunities for recreational and economic activities over the long term.

HICC has implemented several programs and initiatives to ensure our existing systems are up to the task of producing the high quality of water Canadians expect and reliably delivering it to households. For example, as pipes age and deteriorate over time, they become more prone to cracks and ruptures. Timely repair of these aging pipes can help prevent wasteful leakage of precious water resources and incidences of water overflow from pipe breakage. Investments in the replacement of old pipes support the efficient use of Canada’s water resources, reducing leakages and ensuring that potable water makes it to the taps of Canadians.

HICC investments are helping ensure that, as new communities grow and new houses and businesses are built across the country, they are connected to clean and safe drinking water and systems that treat wastewater. HICC funds water and wastewater projects through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) and CCBF. Further, HICC will consider SDGs and establish relevant targets and indicators during the development of future programming.

Initiatives advancing Canada's implementation of SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation

The following initiatives demonstrate how HICC programming supports the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.

GOAL 9: FOSTER INNOVATION AND GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN CANADA

FSDS Context^Endnotevi:

Green infrastructure plays a key role in conserving natural resources and addressing climate change by reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and increasing climate resilience. As climate change continues, people in Canada need to be able to trust that their infrastructure can withstand climate impacts for decades to come. Investing in green infrastructure will provide assurance and be increasingly important to sustain economic, environmental, and social well-being. Green infrastructure, such as low-carbon transportation, natural infrastructure, clean energy, and climate-resilient and energy-efficient buildings, helps build healthy and resilient communities, promotes environmental sustainability, drives economic growth, and supports a net-zero economy. Further, natural infrastructure has significant potential to provide additional benefits, helping to keep infrastructure services reliable in a changing climate.

HICC funds projects to foster innovation and green infrastructure through a number of its programs, notably the Canada Public Transit Fund (CPTF), the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings (GICB) program, the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF), ICIP, CCBF, and the Natural Infrastructure Fund (NIF).

Funding is provided for green infrastructure projects through the GICB program and DMAF. The GICB program aims to improve energy efficiency in existing buildings and support the construction of new net-zero carbon ones, particularly in areas with populations with higher needs. The GICB program supports the construction and adaptation of community buildings across Canada to reduce carbon emissions, advance greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation measures and encourage best practices in building design for climate change resilience. DMAF invests in structural and natural infrastructure projects to help communities prepare for and withstand natural disasters driven by climate change, prevent infrastructure failures, and safeguard Canadians.

The ICIP Green Infrastructure Stream provides funding for projects that enable greater adaptation and resilience to the impacts of climate change and climate-related disaster mitigation. It also ensures that more communities can provide clean air for their citizens. ICIP projects include those that improve the resilience of communities and facilitate the transition to a clean growth economy, while also improving social inclusion and socio-economic outcomes for Canadians.

CCBF allows for local project selection in 19 eligible categories, including public transit and community energy systems projects. The fund promotes investments in increased productivity and economic growth, a clean environment, and strong cities and communities.

NIF supports natural and hybrid infrastructure projects to further Canada’s commitment to climate change resilience while contributing to national biodiversity goals and targets. By supporting natural infrastructure, such as conserving and restoring wetlands and marshes, projects funded through NIF can help prevent climate change impacts such as flash floods and support the conservation and recovery of wildlife species, including species at risk. Furthermore, NIF helps to build awareness and increase the use of natural and hybrid infrastructure, by creating, expanding, or enhancing a community’s access to nature, furthering resilience to climate change, improving environmental quality, and protecting biodiversity.

HICC also supports innovative projects for climate mitigation and adaptation through its Research and Knowledge Initiative and its Climate Toolkits for Housing and Infrastructure, connecting infrastructure owners to the knowledge and tools they need to build low-carbon, climate-resilient projects. As such, through programs and projects, HICC is supporting new community spaces to be built to net-zero standards, to incorporate low-carbon design elements (e.g., selecting lower-carbon construction materials) and is accelerating the rate of retrofits to achieve deeper emissions reductions and energy efficiency savings.

Target theme: Green infrastructure and innovation

FSDS Target:By fiscal year 2027 to 2028, the federal share of the value of green infrastructure projects approved under the Investing in Canada Plan will reach $27.6 billion (Minister of Housing,Infrastructure and Communities^{Footnote 1})

GOAL 10: ADVANCE RECONCILIATION WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND TAKE ACTION ON INEQUALITY

FSDS Context^Endnotexi:

Social, economic, and environmental inequalities persist in Canada. These inequalities disproportionately affect people with multiple intersecting identity factors such as gender identity and expression, race and ethnicity, faith community, Indigeneity, disability, sexual orientation, and low socioeconomic status. Reconciliation with Indigenous peoples is essential to addressing these inequalities and achieving substantive equality.

HICC fulfills the constitutional duty to consult and, where appropriate, accommodate Indigenous peoples, while also respecting federal environmental legislative and regulatory requirements. When possible, HICC relies on existing government processes or prior Indigenous engagement efforts of funding applicants to assist the department in fulfilling the duty to consult and, where applicable, accommodate Indigenous peoples. For example, if there are existing or planned consultation processes led by funding applicants such as provinces and territories, or by Regulatory Agencies (e.g., Fisheries and Oceans Canada), HICC will rely on these processes to the extent possible. If there are no existing processes, recipients of HICC funding could be asked to undertake or participate in Indigenous engagement and consultation activities, or, in specific circumstances, HICC may coordinate and lead Canada’s Crown-Indigenous consultation process.

HICC continues to support retrofits of existing community buildings and the construction of new resilient and net-zero buildings and outdoor facilities. Due to investments in community assets, Canadians will be able to gather safely in their communities, including Indigenous communities, as the country continues to move towards a net-zero carbon and climate-resilient future.

Given the over-representation of Indigenous peoples among those experiencing homelessness, Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy will continue to fund and support organizations working to address Indigenous homelessness, including through the delivery of Indigenous-specific homelessness programming. HICC will collaborate with Indigenous partners to identify and advance priorities that meet the unique needs of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.

HICC recognizes the distinct role that community infrastructure plays for the well-being and self-determination of Indigenous Peoples. As such, the Department ensures that a minimum of 10% of the direct-funding program envelopes for the GICB Program, DMAF , and the Natural Infrastructure Fund (NIF), as well as the Active Transportation Fund (ATF) and the Rural Transit Solutions Fund (RTSF), is allocated to Indigenous projects led by and for Indigenous populations and communities. Beginning in 2024-25, a minimum of 10% of the direct-delivery funding stream of the CHIF will be dedicated to Indigenous recipients. Additionally, HICC will continue to support the implementation of the Government of Canada’s commitment to have 5% of the total value of contracts awarded annually to Indigenous businesses.

To advance reconciliation and take action to reduce inequality, HICC has also taken steps to establish internal practices that contribute to reducing the disproportionate impact of social, economic, and environmental inequalities on Indigenous peoples. HICC is committed to acquiring talent that contributes to the representation of designated groups, including Indigenous peoples, which meets or exceeds workforce availability.

Further, HICC offers departmental awareness activities to foster cultural awareness and provide a space to support Indigenous peoples and intends to review its Harassment and Violence Prevention Policy to ensure that it aligns with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Implementation strategies supporting the goal

This section is for implementation strategies that support the goal “Advance reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and take action on inequality” but not a specific FSDS target.

GOAL 11: IMPROVE ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, CLEAN AIR, TRANSPORTATION, PARKS, AND GREEN SPACES, AS WELL AS CULTURAL HERITAGE IN CANADA

FSDS Context^Endnotexiii:

Safe, modern, and efficient public transit systems remain important for the health and sustainability of communities. Public transit is an important option for Canadians to get where they need to go, whether that is to work or school, a healthcare appointment, or a social engagement with family and friends. When Canadians choose to take public transit, they expect convenient, dependable, and efficient travel. Federal transit funding supports public transit systems and active transportation networks, creates jobs, and makes communities more accessible and liveable for all. Since 2015, the federal government has committed to building thousands of public transit and active transportation projects across the country. This includes funding announced in 2021 for zero-emission buses, rural transit services, active transportation, and to accelerate the expansion of large urban transit systems that many Canadians depend on every day.

More recently in 2024, the CPTF was launched: a permanent fund providing ongoing support and the largest single investment in public transit in Canada’s history.

The CPTF will deliver stable, predictable funding over the first ten years, starting in 2026-27, to expand public transit and active transportation in support of long-term goals:

• Increase the use of public transit and active transportation relative to car travel.
• Increase the housing supply and affordability as part of complete, transit-oriented communities.
• Help mitigate climate change and improve climate resilience.
• Improve public transit and active transportation options for all.

The CPTF is designed to meet the unique needs of communities of all sizes, from large metropolitan areas to mid-size and smaller communities, including rural, remote, northern, and Indigenous communities. Three funding components will provide provinces, territories, municipalities, transit agencies, and other partners with the resources they need to plan and implement key public transit projects over the long term.

Through Metro-Region Agreements, the Government of Canada will work with partners across a metropolitan region to support the long-term development of public transit and active transportation infrastructure in large urban areas, including major expansion projects. Baseline Funding will provide predictable, long-term funding to communities with existing transit systems to support routine investments, with an expected focus on public transit and active transportation system expansions, improvements, and state of good repair. Targeted Funding will provide flexible, call-specific funding to address federal priorities that meet local needs, such as rural transit, active transportation and zero-emission solutions.

Building complete, transit-oriented communities will enable more people to live near public transit, providing access to important services and opportunities in their communities. It will also enable increased housing supply by encouraging higher density near transit: communities seeking to access funding through the Canada Public Transit Fund will be required to take actions that directly unlock housing supply where it is needed most.

HICC will continue to support projects that were approved under the ATF, RTSF, and Zero Emission Transit Fund (ZETF) announced in 2021:

• In support of Canada’s National Active Transportation Strategy, the ATF is funding new and expanded networks of pathways, bike lanes, trails, and pedestrian bridges, in addition to supporting active transportation planning and stakeholder engagement activities.
• The RTSF is supporting the development of locally driven transit solutions including new transit agencies, on-demand services, publicly owned ride shares, and volunteer community carpooling to help people in rural areas get around their communities more easily and connect with other communities nearby.
• Further, the Zero Emission Transit Fund (ZETF) is delivering funding to public transit and school bus operators to electrify their fleets by helping them purchase zero-emission buses and build supporting infrastructure, including charging infrastructure and facility upgrades. This program complements the Canada Infrastructure Bank’s Zero-Emission Buses Initiative intended to accelerate the adoption of over 5,000 zero-emission transit and school buses through low-cost flexible loans. HICC also continues to deliver remaining funding to provinces, territories, and municipalities through the Public Transit stream of ICIP. The CPTF will continue to enable rural and Indigenous communities to seek funding in support of active and transit projects and will continue to provide communities with funding to purchase vehicles, build and upgrade supporting infrastructure, and undertake planning activities to decarbonize their public transit fleets.

In addition, the Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure stream of ICIP provides provinces, territories, and municipalities with funding for infrastructure projects that will improve social inclusion, such as new, expanded, or renewed community, cultural, and recreational installations, and facilities. Cultural infrastructure facilities support opportunities to highlight the richness of Canada’s diversity, including facilities aimed at supporting off-reserve Indigenous populations.

HICC recognizes that making cities and communities sustainable means improving access to transportation, parks and green spaces, cultural heritage, clean air, and affordable housing. As Canadians face the challenges of a rapidly changing climate, the need for community spaces where people can connect, engage, and support one another has never been greater.

Central to this effort is the NHS, which represents Canada's commitment to ensuring that people across the country have greater access to safe, affordable, and inclusive housing. Launched in 2017, the Strategy includes a range of complementary programs and initiatives that address diverse needs across the entire housing continuum. It is anchored in the National Housing Strategy Act which requires the Strategy to consider the key principles of a human rights-based approach to housing. In addition to the NHS, the Government of Canada launched Canada's Housing Plan in April 2024, to make housing more attainable and affordable for Canadians by building more homes, making it easier to rent or own a home, and supporting Canadians who cannot afford a home. In support of the NHS and Canada’s Housing Plan, HICC collaborates with the CMHC in the development and delivery of affordable housing programs, such as:

• The Affordable Housing Fund (formerly known as the National Housing Co-Investment Fund) provides low-interest and/or forgivable loans and contributions for new and repaired affordable and community housing. It includes priority funding for Indigenous communities, Black-led organizations to increase housing that benefits Black households, and women and children's shelters and transitional housing.
• The Rapid Housing Initiative launched in 2020 to support the rapid construction of new housing or the acquisition of existing buildings for rehabilitation or conversion to permanent affordable housing for vulnerable populations. Additional investment in 2024 will enable a Rapid Housing Stream within the Affordable Housing Fund to build deeply affordable housing, supportive housing, and shelters for our most vulnerable.
• The Federal Community Housing Initiative, since 2018, has provided support to affordable housing providers to help maintain existing affordable housing. Additional flexibility in the program is being developed in 2024 to ensure that eligible housing providers can access funding to maintain housing affordability for low-income tenants and co-op members.

In 2024-25, HICC is working to establish a new transfer payment program, the CHIF, for provincial, territorial, municipal governments, Indigenous communities, and other eligible recipients to invest in drinking water, wastewater, stormwater and solid waste infrastructure that are needed to support increased housing. The core objective of the CHIF is to enable increased housing supply through improved capacity of drinking water, wastewater, stormwater and solid waste infrastructure. The program will play a critical supporting role within Canada’s Housing Plan and the broader NHS.

More information on NHS programs that support affordable housing and quarterly progress reports, can be found at www.placetocallhome.ca.

HICC is providing funding and support to urban, Indigenous, rural, and remote communities to prevent and reduce homelessness, including chronic homelessness, through Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy, launched in 2019. HICC helps to address homelessness among the most vulnerable in Canadian communities through measures such as the new Veteran Homelessness Program, launched in April 2023, which provides rent supplements and wraparound support to Veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness, including chronic homelessness. HICC also provided additional funds in winter 2023-24 to many Reaching Home communities to facilitate emergency support for individuals experiencing or at risk of unsheltered homelessness, including those residing in encampments.

Additionally, Budget 2024 announced funding over two years (2024-2025 and 2025-2026) for HICC to address unsheltered homelessness and encampments through a human-rights based approach. With this new funding, HICC will work with provinces/territories to support targeted municipalities and community organizations to reduce the number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, including the number of people living in homeless encampments, and is expected to contribute to the federal goal of a 50% reduction in chronic homelessness in Canada by 2027-2028. Further, the Action Research on Chronic Homelessness initiative was launched in 2023 to identify persistent barriers to addressing chronic homelessness and test potential approaches to overcome these barriers in eight communities across Canada. Findings will be widely disseminated to communities across the country.

Target theme: Affordable Housing and Homelessness

Target: By 2028, reduce chronic homelessness by 50% (Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities)

Target theme: Public Transit and Active Transportation

Target: By 2030, 22% of commuters use public transit or active transportation (Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities)

Initiatives advancing Canada's implementation of SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities

The following initiatives demonstrate how HICC programming supports the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, supplementing the information outlined above.

GOAL 12: REDUCE WASTE AND TRANSITION TO ZERO-EMISSION VEHICLES

FSDS Context^Endnotexx:

Transportation accounts for a quarter of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions, with most coming from the on-road sector, including light, medium and heavy-duty vehicles. One way to reduce transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions is to replace vehicles powered by fossil fuels (Internal Combustion Engines, or ICEs), with Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEVs). It is important to ensure that the life-cycle carbon footprint associated with producing, powering, and recycling Zero-Emission Vehicles (and their parts, such as lithium-ion batteries) is lower than that of ICE vehicles.

As a department, HICC supports the Government of Canada’s transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient operations, while also working to reduce environmental impacts beyond carbon. HICC has invested in modernizing its small fleet by using low-carbon mobility vehicles. The Department encourages its employees to use climate-resilient assets, services, and operations, as well as green goods and services that consider sustainability.

HICC investments are facilitating low-carbon communities where Canadians can opt to take transit for their transportation needs. This includes investments in zero-emission buses, which help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, curb air pollution, and protect our environment.

The ZETF supports clean procurement by offering support to public transit and school bus operators electrifying their fleets through the purchase of zero-emission buses and the construction of supporting infrastructure, including charging infrastructure and facility upgrades.

Target Theme: Federal Leadership on Responsible Consumption

Target: The Government of Canada’s procurement of goods and services will be net-zero emissions by 2050, to aid the transition to a net-zero, circular economy (All Ministers)

GOAL 13: TAKE ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS IMPACTS

FSDS Context^Endnotexxii:

The effects of human-caused climate change are being felt across our country. Canadians are experiencing more extreme temperatures and precipitation, as well as an increase in the frequency and severity of wildfires, heatwaves, droughts, and flooding. Canada is warming at twice the global rate, with this rate being even higher in the Canadian Arctic. Meanwhile, rising sea levels are putting coastal cities at risk. An increasing number of Canadian communities from coast to coast have experienced significant weather-related disasters triggered by climate change.

Infrastructure failures from natural hazards and extreme weather events can pose threats to health and safety, the destruction of homes, interruptions in essential services, significant disruptions in economic activity, and high costs for recovery and replacement. More resilient infrastructure will help communities better withstand damage caused by climate change and extreme weather events while keeping Canadians safe, protecting local businesses, and supporting strong local economies. HICC is investing in projects that will protect Canadians and communities from current and future climate conditions.

HICC is working to ensure that Canadians have a resilient, climate-smart, accessible, and inclusive public infrastructure by targeting investments at key points along the infrastructure value chain: investing in data, evidence, and knowledge, supporting the creation of climate-informed codes, standards, and guidance, helping build integrated planning capacity, and providing capital funding for projects. These investments are made through programs dedicated to supporting projects that increase the resilience of communities and safeguard against future severe weather events, while also helping meet climate goals, such as DMAF and the GICB Program.

DMAF is a grant-based funding program that aims to help protect and prepare communities against natural hazards and extreme weather events, such as those triggered by climate change. This includes drought, earthquakes, erosion, extreme temperatures, floods, permafrost thaw, storms, and wildland fires. DMAF strengthens the resilience of Canadian communities at risk of infrastructure failure caused by those hazards. By investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, DMAF helps protect communities and the critical services they rely on to stay safe, healthy, and prosperous. One way DMAF -funded projects increase resilience is through natural infrastructure, which can help mitigate climate-related risks and extreme weather events while providing additional benefits like recreation to communities.

As part of the National Adaptation Strategy, the Government of Canada Adaptation Action Plan provided funding for several resilience-building initiatives including open-access climate toolkits and resilience requirements for funding. Designed to be an evergreen source for consolidated and authoritative climate-smart tools and resources, the Climate Toolkits for Housing and Infrastructure will help infrastructure owners and investors develop projects that ensure Canada is on the path to a net-zero emission and resilient future. In addition, HICC oversees the development of guidance, standards, and codes for climate-resilient and low-carbon infrastructure with the National Research Council of Canada, through the Climate Resilient Built Environment Initiative, and the Standards Council of Canada, through the Standards to Support Resilience in Infrastructure Program.

Through GICB, HICC supports green and accessible retrofits, repairs, or upgrades of existing public buildings or construction of new publicly accessible community buildings that serve high needs and underserved communities across Canada. The GICB Program supports the first pillar of the Strengthened Climate Plan by improving the places in which Canadians live and gather by making life more affordable, supporting thousands of good jobs, and cutting pollution by reducing GHG emissions, increasing energy efficiency, building resiliency to climate change and encouraging the construction of new builds to net zero standards.

HICC is taking action to pursue the National Adaptation Strategy target that “Starting in 2024, resilience to climate change impacts is factored into all new federal infrastructure funding programs.” In this regard, HICC is building on the lessons learned from its Climate Lens initiative to develop resilience requirements for funding programs across the department. These requirements will ensure that all HICC funds go to projects that have analyzed current and future climate conditions in their geographic locations to identify any risks that climate change may pose to the project. For each of the identified risks, they are asked to consider and propose appropriate mitigation measures to help withstand, respond to, recover from, or adapt to climate change impact.

For GHGs, HICC is focusing on putting in place GHG emissions assessments and reduction measures for infrastructure project types and sizes where there is the greatest opportunity for emissions reductions. This supports the objectives of the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan both by directly reducing emissions associated with individual projects and by more broadly supporting GHG best practices on the part of infrastructure owners and developers. HICC is implementing measures to support the use of low-carbon materials in major projects, as part of the federal Buy Clean policy approach.

The resilience requirements and GHG measures are intended to encourage project development that considers climate change and climate impacts to support Canada’s mid-century goals of a clean growth low-carbon economy.

Target theme: Federal Leadership on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reductions and Climate Resilience

Target: The Government of Canada will transition to net-zero carbon operations for facilities and conventional fleets by 2050 (All Ministers)

Implementation strategies supporting the goal.

This section is for implementation strategies that support the goal “Take action on climate change and its impacts” but not a specific FSDS target.

Section 5: Integrating Sustainable Development

HICC will continue to ensure that its decision-making process includes consideration of FSDS goals and targets through its Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process. A SEA assesses the environmental impact of proposed policies and/or programs.

HICC’s internal procedures require the lead team on a proposal to do a preliminary SEA scan to assess the impact of the new policy or program they are developing. In the event that the preliminary scan reveals a significant impact on the environment, the lead team is required to conduct a detailed SEA.

If a detailed SEA is conducted, a public statement on the results of HICC’s assessment is required. The purpose of the public statement is to demonstrate that the environmental effects, including the impacts on achieving FSDS goals and targets, of the approved policy, plan, or program have been considered during proposal development and decision-making.