Canada invests $80M in third round of Housing Supply Challenge

Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. Affordable housing is key to Canada’s pandemic recovery, especially for northern and remote communities across the country.

Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, and the Honourable Daniel Vandal, Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, announced $80 million in funding for “Northern Access: Supply Chain Solutions for Northern and Remote Housing”, the third round of the Housing Supply Challenge.

Through the Northern Access round, the Government isseeking solutions that will break down supply chain barriers in northern and remote regions and open the door to more much-needed housing. These barriers can include:

• long distances to get supplies and long shipping timelines
• a harsh climate and short construction season
• a high cost of materials and skilled labour

For the Northern Access round, the following groups are encouraged to apply:

• Supply chain professionals
• For-profit and not-for-profit organizations
• Indigenous governments, organizations, and groups
• Canadian post-secondary institutions
• Governments (provincial, territorial, Indigenous, municipal, local and regional)
• Teams composed of a variety of participants

More information about the Housing Supply Challenge is available on Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s website.

Quotes:

“Every Canadian deserves a home that can afford and that meets their needs. Increasing the supply of housing requires innovative and disruptive thinking, and that’s exactly what the Northern Access round of the Housing Supply Challenge intends to do. By bringing forward the best new ideas, we are working with our partners to turn these ideas into realities and address housing supply chain issues in northern and remote communities across Canada.”

“The Housing Supply Challenge is all about bringing people together to find local solutions that work for each community. The investment our government is announcing today, made possible through the National Housing Strategy, will lead to innovative solutions that will break down barriers and make real positive change in northern and remote communities.”

Quick facts:

• The COVID-19 pandemic means that communities across the country are dealing with the devastating impacts of rising levels of homelessness and housing need. Canada needs more housing supply, but there is no single solution to address this need.
• To help municipalities grow their housing supply, Budget 2019 provided $300 million in funding over five years to launch a Housing Supply Challenge (HSC) and unlock new solutions for Canadians searching for an affordable place to call home.
• The HSC is being delivered by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and aims to:
• provide new resources and find solutions to enhance housing supply and provide a platform to share these models with communities across Canada;
• help address barriers to housing supply and affordability, showcase new ideas and solutions, and cultivate collaboration and partnerships.
• The HSC is a component of Impact Canada, a Government of Canada-wide initiative to help departments accelerate the adoption of innovative funding approaches to deliver meaningful results to Canadians.
• The first round, “Data Driven”, has selected 14 finalists who have proposed innovative solutions to address gaps in housing data. These participants will create technology or methodology-based solutions to improve data collection, sharing, analysis and integration, thus improving decision-making on housing supply. The first round will disburse up to $25 million to fund these solutions.
• The second round, “Getting Started”, has shortlisted 29 applicants who have proposed solutions that improve affordable housing pre-development processes. Up to $40 million will be disbursed to fund these solutions.
• CMHC has partnered with Evergreen to help applicants develop the most impactful solutions. The Housing Supply Challenge Support Program and the Northern Ideas Development Program will help applicants put forward solutions for improving their communities' access to supply chains.
• The Challenge aligns with the National Housing Strategy and CMHC’s goal that by 2030, everyone in Canada has a home they can afford and that meets their needs.

Associated link:

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

For information on this release:

Arevig Afarian
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister for Housing and Diversity and Inclusion
arevig.afarian@infc.gc.ca

Media Relations
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation
media@cmhc-schl.gc.ca