Surplus Federal Properties Earmarked for Affordable Housing

Ottawa, Ontario, February 11, 2019

Communities in Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland will be among the first to see surplus federal properties repurposed into new affordable housing. A competitive process for five properties located across three provinces has begun accepting proposals from housing developers to create affordable, sustainable, accessible and socially inclusive housing.

The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and Minister Responsible for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), and the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility and Minister Responsible for Canada Lands Company, made the announcement today.

Called the Federal Lands Initiative, the Government of Canada is allocating $200 million through the National Housing Strategy to support the transfer of surplus federal properties to eligible proponents at heavily discounted rates or at no-cost to encourage the development of affordable housing.

The five properties made available today are located in Ottawa, Montreal, Sherbrooke and St. John’s, and will help bring more affordable housing options to these communities.

Quotes:

"Increasing the availability of affordable housing is the cornerstone of ensuring all Canadians have a place to call home. Being able to leverage surplus federal properties and lands is an effective way to create new housing and also breathe new life into properties that have been untouched for years or decades."
— The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

"Our Government’s National Housing Strategy is about creating communities where Canadians can prosper and thrive. Through innovative projects like the Federal Lands Initiative, we are providing communities across Canada the opportunity to build much-needed housing options so that everyone has a safe, affordable and accessible place to call home."
— The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility

Quick facts:

Led by CMHC, the initiative is a partnership with Employment and Social Development Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada and Canada Lands Company CLC Limited, as well as other federal partners with surplus lands.
The Federal Lands Initiative is providing $200 million over the next 10 years to support the transfer of surplus federal properties to eligible proponents at discounted to no-cost rates to encourage the development of affordable, sustainable, accessible and socially inclusive housing.
Surplus government properties are evaluated based on location, suitability, availability, proximity to amenities and through a cost/benefit analysis. Properties selected for affordable housing development are then offered for sale and advertised on CMHC’s National Housing Strategy website. Social and affordable housing providers are then invited to submit applications to acquire these properties through a competitive process.
The following properties are currently available for affordable housing development:

Wateridge Village – Block 21 (Ottawa, Ontario)
12 390 Avenue Saint-Jacques (Montreal, Quebec)
1455-1465 Place du Dauphin & 1148-1162 rue Jogues (Sherbrooke, Quebec)
Pleasantville – Lots 5-8, 13-17 (St. John’s, Newfoundland)
Pleasantville – Block 14 (St. John’s, Newfoundland)

As a result of the sale of these properties, the Federal Lands Initiative will create or preserve no fewer than 257 housing units.
The Government of Canada is currently rolling out its National Housing Strategy (NHS)—an ambitious 10-year, $40 billion plan that will create 100,000 new housing units and lift 530,000 families out of housing need as well as repair and renew more than 300,000 housing units and reduce chronic homelessness by 50 percent.
The NHS is built on strong partnerships between federal, provincial and territorial governments, and on continuous engagement with others, including municipalities, Indigenous governments and organizations, and the social and private sectors to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Canadians.
Under the Investing in Canada plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.

Associated links:

As Canada's authority on housing, 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. For more information, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook.

To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, visit www.placetocallhome.ca.