Prime Minister Mark Carney launched the Build Canada Homes agency with an initial $13 billion budget to accelerate affordable construction and deliver 4,000 homes across six federal sites, with first builds slated to begin in 2026.
The agency’s first tranche covers six locations—Dartmouth, Longueuil, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Edmonton—with site-specific details still pending.
“The core challenge present in the housing market is it’s just too hard to build,” Carney said at a Nepean press conference. He added that departments have been tasked to identify additional federal lands to add to the Canada Land Bank’s 88 properties.
Carney said the agency will “give the green light” to bulk projects to compress permitting timelines. He also said the Rental Protection Fund—used by community housing groups to purchase private rentals and keep them affordable—will continue under the new agency.
On program scope, the government specified a $1 billion fund for transitional housing for people at risk of homelessness. The agency will use CMHC’s affordability definition: housing that costs less than 30% of pre-tax household income.
“Build Canada Homes will prioritize the use of cost-efficient and modern methods of construction, including factory build, modular and mass timber,” Carney said. He noted that factory-built homes can be assembled in days and allow winter building.
In addition, in partnership with the Nunavut Housing Corporation, the agency expects to build 700 homes, with around 30% constructed off-site and shipped to Nunavut.
Procurement will also follow the federal “Buy Canadian” policy, prioritizing domestic materials and inputs to support local supply chains amid US tariffs.
Ana Bailão, former Toronto deputy mayor and board member of Toronto Community Housing, will serve as CEO of Build Canada Homes.
Public reaction focused on per-unit math, with critics averaging $13 billion for 4,000 homes at around $3.25 million per home.
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