Minister highlights initiatives' potential to ease housing shortage
In a bid to combat the ongoing housing crisis, the Government of Canada has announced a new initiative to utilize federal lands for the development of affordable housing.
Jean-Yves Duclos, minister of public services and procurement, and Sean Fraser, minister of housing, infrastructure and communities, have revealed the launch of the Canada Public Land Bank and the availability of five federal properties for immediate housing development.
The Canada Public Land Bank is a new tool designed to accelerate the development of housing on federal lands. It currently lists 56 properties identified as suitable for residential construction, with the new list to be updated regularly. The properties listed total approximately 305 hectares—equivalent to nearly 2,000 hockey rinks or 400 Canadian Football League fields.
According to a news release, this initiative is part of the broader Public Lands for Homes Plan, which aims to address Canada’s severe housing supply by leveraging public land for new housing projects.
“Available, accessible and affordable housing options are scarce, and too many people do not have a safe place to call home. We need to do things differently and work in partnership to build more homes, faster,” said Duclos. “We are leading a Team Canada effort to unlock public lands for housing at a pace and scale not seen in generations, thus leveraging these properties to build strong communities and more affordable housing for the benefit of all Canadians.”
Initiatives to alleviate the housing crisis
The Public Lands for Homes Plan is expected to provide options for long-term leasing of federal properties rather than outright sales, ensuring that public land remains under government ownership and that the housing developed remains affordable.
In addition to the land bank, the government has also initiated a call for proposals from housing providers to develop the newly listed properties in cities such as Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, and Montréal. This proposal process is managed in partnership with Canada Lands Company and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
The government’s new strategy also includes accelerating the real property disposal process to align with the urgent need for housing. Public Services and Procurement Canada will adopt service standards to streamline the delivery of properties to builders.
Fraser highlighted the financial benefits of the new initiative: “One of the largest costs in building is land. By building on public lands, we can make it easier to build, and by leasing those same properties, we can make sure the homes built stay affordable for the long term.”
This initiative supports Canada’s broader housing strategy, which includes the goal of creating 250,000 new homes by 2031, the news release highlighted. Budget 2024 allocated $500 million to the Public Lands Acquisition Fund, aimed at acquiring additional land for housing purposes from other governmental bodies.
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