A Plan to Protect Canadians and Strengthen Housing!
A coalition of Canada's leading housing organizations has come together to offer a framework for addressing Canada's housing crisis. In the face of economic uncertainty and geopolitical threats, this plan aims to protect Canadians and build a strong, resilient housing system that works for everyone.

by Tony Slavin

Canada's Current Housing Challenge
Economic Uncertainty
Canada entered 2025 amid a housing crisis brought on by the words and actions of the Trump Administration, which not only risks throwing the economy into recession but also risks further exacerbating Canada's housing and homelessness crises.
We cannot be certain about the future threat of Trump's tariffs, but we know that, regardless, Canada is in for an economic shock and readjustment that will disproportionately affect low- and moderate-income families.
Vulnerable Housing System
Regardless of the state of tariffs, we continue to face down the threats of a trade war, economic instability driven by the Trump administration, and a rapidly changing geopolitical environment.
These impacts will be felt across Canada's economy, labour market, and housing system, worsening housing insecurity and driving more people into homelessness.
Team Canada Approach
Unified Response
Creating a strong, resilient housing system will not be easy, as various policy levers are spread across multiple orders of government, with business, labour, and the higher education sectors all playing a role.
Renewed Patriotism
The words and actions from President Trump have created a renewed sense of patriotism in the country, that all of us are part of a single, united, Team Canada.
Coalition Approach
The country must channel this energy and bring together the federal, provincial, and municipal governments to create and implement a single, unified plan.
The Coalition
Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness
Working to end homelessness in communities across Canada
Canadian Housing and Renewal Association
Ensuring all Canadians have an affordable, secure home
Canadian Real Estate Association
Representing real estate professionals across the country
Habitat for Humanity Canada
Building strength, stability and independence through affordable homeownership
Ten-Part Sovereign Housing Plan
1
Immediate Actions to Protect Canadians
Creating an immediate housing safety net and protecting renters from falling into homelessness
2
Building a Resilient Housing System
Doubling community housing, ensuring access to land and infrastructure, creating resilient supply chains
3
Workforce and Regulatory Solutions
Developing housing skills, reforming taxes, streamlining permissions
4
Innovation and Inclusion
Accelerating innovation and expanding Indigenous Urban, Rural and Northern housing
Canada's Existing Housing Need
Despite the re-entry of the federal government into housing policy through the National Housing Strategy (2018-28), Canada continues to fall further behind in the goal of an affordable, adequate home for all. In Ontario alone, 81,515 persons experienced homelessness, a 25% increase since 2022. This upward trend in homelessness is being felt by Canadians across the country, with over half of Canadians, 57%, fearing losing their housing if their financial situation were to change.
Key Income Groups Affected
Very Low-Income Households
These are families with less than 20% of the area's median income, mostly on fixed incomes, disproportionately Indigenous, and many with disabilities, age, or other chronic health issues that prevent them from accessing the workforce. While single people generally need one-bedroom apartments, their maximum affordable rent was only $420 per month in 2020.
Low-Income Households
These include families reliant on minimum wage jobs, who earn between 21-50% of the area's median income. This group includes a disproportionate number of low-income students, single parents, new migrants, and seniors, and many couples and families who require 2-4 bedroom apartments, as well as single people. The maximum rent they can afford is $1,050 per month.
Moderate-Income Households
This group, sometimes called "key workers," are often younger households who work in teaching, healthcare, construction and other sectors yet who can't afford to live near jobs and services. In previous decades, there were numerous market rental choices for moderate-income households, as well as starter ownership options, but now there are extremely limited rental choices available at a maximum of $1,680 per month and no larger homes.
Median-Income Households
Even middle-class Canadians, traditionally the bedrock of homeownership, are finding it difficult to access first-time homeownership at a maximum housing cost of $2,520.
Meeting the Moment with New Solutions
New Challenges
Economic dislocation from a restricting economy with restructured supply chains
Increased Asylum Seekers
A possible increase in the number of asylum seekers entering Canada
Investment Concerns
The potential for less long-run foreign investment into Canada
Currency Impact
The impact of a falling Canadian dollar, including higher-priced imports
Supply Chain Restructuring
The need to restructure Canadian housing-related supply chains
Creating an Immediate Housing Safety Net
1
Homelessness Prevention and Housing Benefit
Provide immediate rental relief to up to 385,000 households at imminent risk of homelessness, help over 50,000 people leave homelessness and reduce pressure on Canada's overwhelmed homeless systems
2
Increase Social Assistance
Increase social assistance shelter allowances immediately for low-income recipients and persons with disabilities to be able to afford their shelter costs
3
Enhance Community Capacity
Enhance community capacity to respond to surging unsheltered homelessness and encampments with housing-focused resolutions
4
Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support
Develop a comprehensive refugee and asylum seeker reception and resettlement system to equip Canada to respond to the potential for an increased number of people seeking asylum
Protecting Renters
Protect Against Foreign Speculation
Explore measures to protect against the large-scale purchase of housing from foreign hedge funds, to protect and preserve the existing affordable rental stock
Freeze No-Fault Evictions
Support provinces to implement an immediate freeze on no-fault evictions
Support Rent Banks
Increase support for rent banks, to decrease in-flow into homelessness
Create Rental Registries
Develop public, universal, and free rental registries administered by provinces to provide tenants and potential tenants more access to information when making rental decisions
Prevent Predatory Practices
Ban the use of third-party algorithmic rent pricing software to prevent landlords from colluding on setting rents
Doubling The Share of Community Housing
4%
Current Community Housing
Less than 4% of Canada's housing stock is non-profit community housing
8%
Target Community Housing
Doubling to 8% will have a significant positive impact on economic productivity
$1T
Investment Needed
CMHC notes Canada needs over $1 trillion in housing investment by 2030
Currently, less than 4% of Canada's housing stock is non-profit community housing, which is less than half of the OECD and G7 average. Doubling that to 8% will have a significant positive impact on economic productivity and provide stable, affordable housing for hundreds of thousands of households in Canada.
Community Housing Solutions

Build Canada Bond
Establish a Build Canada Bond for housing with guaranteed returns

Sustainable Funding
Provide long-term and sustainable funding to support community housing sector growth

Supportive Housing
Create a federal program to fund 50,000 units of supportive housing

Preservation
Preserve existing non-profit and cooperative homes through capital repair funding

Tax Credits
Create an affordable housing tax credit for developers investing in affordable housing
Land and Infrastructure Access

Community Housing
Affordable and accessible housing for all
Land Allocation
Strategic use of public and municipal land
Infrastructure Development
Building necessary support systems
Government Coordination
Federal, provincial and municipal cooperation
Land and infrastructure are both necessary ingredients in building housing, and governments have instituted several reforms in recent years to facilitate the building of infrastructure and to make land available for affordable homebuilding, including the Canada Public Land Bank. But there is much more that can be done.
Creating Resilient Supply Chains

Increase Domestic Production
Accelerated capital cost allowance provisions for manufacturers
Diversify Import Sources
Reduced tariffs on building materials from non-American importers
Harmonize Building Codes
Building code harmonization to help build economies of scale
Increase Material Capacity
A national strategy to increase Canada's steel, lumber, and milling capacity
Housing Skills Agenda for Canada
Training Programs
Improve funding for colleges, trade schools, pre-employment training programs, and apprenticeships
Worker Transition
Create pathways for displaced manufacturing workers to re-skill to housing and infrastructure related careers
Immigration Pathways
Ease credential recognition for immigrants with skilled trades experience and prioritize skilled trades in provincial nominee immigration programs
Tax Reform for Homebuilding
In many parts of Canada, government taxes, charges, fees, and levies can make up the largest single cost of homebuilding. While it is critically important that all orders of government have the revenue they need for critically needed infrastructure and supports, placing a disproportionate share of that burden on new housing construction reduces the number of homes that are built and keeps prices and rents higher than they otherwise would be.
Streamlining Permissions for Homebuilding
Automated Review Process
Follow the lead of Edmonton, Alberta, and implement an automated review process for development permits
Zoning Reform
Abolish parking minimums and unit maximums and limit exclusionary zoning in municipalities to allow "as of right" residential housing
Secondary Housing
Permit "as of right" secondary suites, garden suites, laneway houses, multi-tenant housing and conversions of underutilized commercial properties
One Window Approach
Implement an integrated One Window approach involving all provincial line ministries to streamline provincial approvals
Accelerating Housing Innovation
Housing Technology Investment Tax Credit
Provide a refundable tax credit equal to 30% of the cost of investments in new machinery and equipment used to manufacture low-carbon and climate-resilient housing
Innovation Investment Funds
Create investment funds to help companies advance modular housing, low-carbon concrete, mass timber, panelization, and other innovative housing technologies
Collaboration Initiatives
Encourage collaboration between governments, technology companies, research institutions, and builders to foster innovation in sustainable construction practices
Government Procurement
Utilize government procurement to scale up the factory-built housing sector with guaranteed federal purchases
Indigenous Urban, Rural and Northern Housing
Current Situation
Canada's housing and homelessness crisis has disproportionately affected Indigenous Peoples. In 2021, 80% of Indigenous households in Canada lived in urban, rural, and northern locations, and over 171,000 of those living in urban, rural, and northern regions were in core housing need.
Canada has strong and capable Indigenous-led community housing organizations, but they lack access to sufficient capital to meet that need.
Proposed Solutions
Take a for-Indigenous, by-Indigenous approach that uses the non-profits, networks and community housing infrastructure already established through Indigenous expertise.
Expand federal investment in Indigenous urban, rural, and northern housing by $3 billion per year over the next 10 years to quadruple the supply of affordable for-Indigenous, by-Indigenous homes.
Addressing the critical shortage of Indigenous housing supports a stronger housing system for all, with an estimated $7.40 return to society for each dollar invested.
Closing Thoughts: A National Project
There are dozens of challenges that need to be overcome to ensure that every person in Canada has a safe, decent and affordable home with the support necessary to sustain it. This set of policy ideas, supported by organizations across the housing sector, presents a plan to address these challenges, bolster Canada's housing system, and support Canadians.
The initial threat of tariffs was a catalyzing moment for Canada to address our vulnerabilities. Regardless of the implementation of tariffs, the threat to our economy remains high. We could face a weak Canadian dollar, worsening affordability pressures, creating an uncertain investment environment, leading to slowed productivity, and economic instability for years to come.
In recent years, Canadians have increasingly felt the pressures of the housing system and governments have made incremental change to address these pressures. Now, at this critical juncture, Canadians need all levels of government to come together to address housing as a national project.
Housing Canada: A Sovereign Plan to Protect Canadians and Build a Resilient Housing System presents a framework that puts housing at the forefront of Canada's response to the threats ahead of us. Canada needs a strong and resilient economy, and that starts with building a strong and resilient housing system that works for everyone.
Tony Slavin Real Estate Broker and Mortgage Agent