Removing barriers to build more homes, faster in Waterloo, Ontario

Waterloo, Ontario, February 2, 2024

Today Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers responsible for Housing met face to face for the first time since 2018. Housing Ministers had the opportunity to share their successes, while identifying commonsense approaches to tackling challenges.

Ministers also met, in a separate meeting, with national Indigenous leaders and representatives to hear approaches to addressing housing needs of Indigenous people as identified by the national Indigenous leaders and representatives. Ministers remain committed to working with regional and local Indigenous organizations and partners to support housing solutions which are responsive to local needs.

Communities across Canada continue to face escalating home prices, increasing homelessness, and housing supply, affordability, and adequacy challenges. Ministers agreed to the importance of early and ongoing collaboration in the design and implementation of housing programs to achieve better solutions across the spectrum, from homelessness to market housing. Ministers discussed issues that demonstrate the unique characteristics of each jurisdiction. Ministers agreed solutions should be flexible and responsive to local needs in order to achieve the shared goal that all Canadians have housing that meets their needs. Minister Hussen committed $250 million in federal contributions through the National Housing Co-investment Fund to provinces and territories to support the renovation of more than 25,000 affordable housing units for vulnerable Canadians across the country.

Ministers also recognized that housing is critical to improving the health and social outcomes of Indigenous Peoples, regardless of where they live. Ministers agreed to continue working together with their respective Indigenous communities and partners, on the development of a federally funded Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy. The federal government has committed to invest $300 million over five years, starting in 2022-23, to co-develop a strategy with Indigenous Peoples to plan and construct accessible, safe, and affordable housing for Indigenous Peoples living in those regions.

Minister Hussen discussed federal homelessness investments through Budget 2022 in Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy, a Veterans Homelessness Program, and research about what further measures could contribute to eliminating chronic homelessness. During a roundtable, Ministers then discussed the federal commitment to work with partners to end chronic homelessness in Canada by 2030, shared updates on current initiatives, and discussed opportunities for increased collaboration across all orders of government to better align housing priorities and programs.

Quotes:

“Everyone should have a safe and affordable place to call home. This week’s meeting between federal, provincial and territorial ministers demonstrates our shared commitment to achieving this goal. All orders of government, have a role to play in getting more housing built and supporting those in housing needs and our government will continue to build on our progress under the National Housing Strategy to ensure no one is left behind.”
— The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, Government of Canada

“The Government of Saskatchewan is pleased to host the federal, provincial and territorial ministers as we continue to work in collaboration towards ensuring all residents have a safe, stable and affordable place to call home. This is not possible without the work from community partners and other orders of government to develop new programs and initiatives that will support those in need of housing. Together, we will help families find a home that meets their needs where they can achieve their goals, become a part of their communities, and build their futures together as a family.”
— The Honourable Gene Makowsky, Minister of Social Services and Minister Responsible for the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation, Government of Saskatchewan

Quick facts:

In 2018, ministers responsible for housing endorsed a multilateral Housing Partnership Framework, (the NHS Multilateral Framework) which recognizes federal, provincial and territorial governments as primary partners in housing. The Multilateral Framework asserts a shared vision for housing and sets the foundation for the delivery of key National Housing Strategy (NHS) initiatives.
The Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Forum on Housing is the primary intergovernmental forum to discuss housing policy and program design, as well as monitor and evaluate the state of housing in Canada. The Forum also provides opportunities to discuss the assessment of NHS effectiveness and shared knowledge to inform decision-making and priority setting by each government, as well as adjustments to FPT agreements where appropriate.