Federal government invests in the Community Housing Sector to Increase Affordable Housing Supply
Press Release
March 5, 2025
Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. That is why the Government of Canada is supporting the community housing sector to strengthen the performance, viability and effectiveness of affordable housing.
Today, the federal government announced that $6.4 million will be provided to 22 successful submissions for demonstration initiatives and solutions labs that are exploring how to unlock capital, pool resources, adopt new models, and secure land for the community housing sector.
Community housing providers face unique challenges when it comes to creating affordable housing and deepening or preserving affordability when compared to private sector developers. These challenges exist within financing, acquisition of land or existing affordable housing, development, construction, operation and replication. The funded solutions seek to advance the collective mission of the community housing providers sector and overcome these barriers.
The solutions from this call will support a culture of innovation by fostering partnerships, replication and scaling, as well as creating and disseminating real-world data for evidence-based decision-making.
A detailed list of all the projects that received funding through National Housing Strategy (NHS) Demonstrations Initiative and the Solutions Lab Program funding is provided in an appendix to this release.
Quote:
“We need to double down on getting non-market housing built. With today’s announce, we’re working to strengthen the community housing sector in support of this goal.”
The Honourable Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
Quick facts:
- The National Housing Strategy (NHS) is a 10+ year, $115+ billion plan to give more Canadians a place to call home. Progress on programs and initiatives are updated quarterly on the Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC) website. The Housing Funding Initiatives Map shows affordable housing projects that have been developed.
- As of September 2024, the federal government has committed $57.57 billion to support the creation of over 156,000 units and the repair of over 297,000 units. These measures prioritize those in greatest need, including seniors, Indigenous Peoples, people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and women and children fleeing violence.
- The NHS Demonstrations Initiative highlights solutions that support the NHS priority areas and population groups. These solutions aim to spur awareness, knowledge and scaling of promising practices, strategies, programs, policies and technologies.
- The Solutions Lab Program provides funding and expert innovation consultants to applicants to help them solve complex and persistent affordable housing problems. Solutions are identified, co-designed with a broad set of stakeholders with the goal of creating world leading solutions that can be rapidly implemented and scaled.
- In addition to the 22 projects being funded through the NHS Demonstrations Initiative and Solutions Labs, the federal government supports other initiatives for community housing such as Co-op Housing Development Program and Affordable Housing Fund – Community Housing sub-stream.
Additional information:
Visit Canada.ca/housing for the most requested Government of Canada housing information.
CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. CMHC’s aim is that everyone in Canada has a home they can afford and that meets their needs. For more information, follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.
Progress on programs and initiatives are updated quarterly on the Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC) website. The Housing and Infrastructure Project Map shows affordable housing projects that have been developed.
Find out more about the NHS Demonstrations Initiative and Solutions Labs.
Those interested in learning more about innovative housing solutions and engaging with housing experts are invited to join the Expert Community on Housing (ECOH).
Associated links:
Information on this news release:
Sofia Ouslis
Ministry of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
sofia.ouslis@infc.gc.ca
Media Relations
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
media@cmhc-schl.gc.ca
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