There is no place like home. That’s why we’ve created Canada’s first-ever National Housing Strategy. This $55+ billion, 10-year plan will strengthen the middle class, cut chronic homelessness in half and fuel our economy. Most importantly, it will give more Canadians across the country a place to call home.

Canada’s first-ever National Housing Strategy will help drive the success of Canada’s housing sector by giving more Canadians affordable homes.

Through the NHS, the federal government is bringing together the public, private and non-profit sectors to re-engage in affordable housing. Using a mix of funding, grants and loans, the strategy will create affordable, stable and livable communities. These communities will be located near amenities and transportation – and have the opportunities needed to succeed. Ultimately, communities where families thrive.

The goal is to ensure Canadians across the country have access to housing that meets their needs and is affordable. To achieve this, the strategy will first focus on the most vulnerable Canadians.

The NHS will spearhead innovative new housing research, data and demonstration projects. This will fill gaps in our knowledge, share the best ideas and shape the future of housing policy in Canada. It will also create new opportunities for the federal government to innovate through partnerships with the community housing sector, co-operative movement, private sector, and research community. The end result will:

The end result will see:

  • strengthen the middle class
  • cut chronic homelessness in half
  • build up to 125,000 new homes
  • fuel our economy
  • create a new generation of housing in Canada

Ultimately, the National Housing Strategy will promote diverse communities and create a new generation of housing that is mixed-income, mixed-use, accessible and sustainable.

National Housing Strategy is a national project, built by and for Canadians.

Its success requires collaboration from many partners. People working together to build better lives, create stronger communities and lend a helping hand to Canadians in need.

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Common Prioritization Areas:

The NHS also focuses on and prioritizes:

  • the social sector, including the community housing sector with non-profit and co-operative housing providers
  • partnerships and collaboration between governments, non-profits, co-operatives, academics and the for-profit sector
  • housing that exceeds mandatory minimum requirements related to affordability, environmental efficiency, and accessibility.

NHS priority areas for action include:

  • Housing for those in greatest need - the vulnerable populations.
  • Social housing sustainability
  • Indigenous housing
  • Northern housing
  • Sustainable housing and communities
  • A balanced supply of housing

The NHS prioritizes the most vulnerable Canadians

  • women and children fleeing domestic violence
  • seniors
  • Indigenous peoples
  • homeless people
  • people with disabilities
  • those dealing with mental health and addiction issues
  • veterans
  • young adults
  • racialized groups
  • newcomers

National Housing Targets

The NHS sets ambitious targets to ensure that unprecedented investments and new programming deliver results. This includes:

  • cutting chronic homelessness by 50%
  • removing 530,000 families from housing need
  • renovating and modernizing 300,000 homes
  • building 125,000 new homes

Ultimately, the strategy will promote diverse communities and create a new generation of housing that is mixed-income, mixed-use, accessible and sustainable.

NHS Shared Outcomes

Overall, the NHS has 9 shared outcomes:

  • Homelessness is reduced year-over-year
  • Housing is affordable and in good condition
  • Affordable housing promotes social and economic inclusion for individuals and families
  • Housing outcomes in Canada’s territories are improved year-over-year
  • The housing needs of Indigenous groups are identified and improved
  • Affordable housing contributes to environmental sustainability
  • The National Housing Strategy contributes to Canadian economic growth
  • Partnerships are built, strengthened, and mobilized to achieve better outcomes
  • Collaboration/alignment across the federal government results in more holistic responses to housing issues

CMHC’s Role

CMHC is leading and will deliver the NHS federal initiatives. Throughout the 10-years of the NHS, CMHC will score and prioritize applications, administer funding, and manage borrowing and appropriations.

In some cases, CMHC will work with other federal departments or agencies to deliver the programs. For example, for Research Scholarships, CMHC is partnering with Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research`s Institute of Population and Public Health (CIHR-IPPH). In some cases serves may be contracted out to third-parties (e.g. Technical Resource Centre and Sector Transformation Fund)

Role of provinces and territories

Over a 12-year period, the federal investment in provincial and territorial housing programs will reach approximately $20.5 billion. Provinces and territories will be required to cost-match roughly half of this total investment.

The NHS also includes components that will delivered by provinces and territories and include:

  • Designated components under the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Partnership Framework
  • Canada Community Housing Initiative – Phase 2
  • Canada Housing Benefit

More information can be found in the November 2017 release of the National Housing Strategy public policy document.

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Date Published: May 2, 2018