Housing

The Latest

To keep Canada's economic recovery on-track, the federal government must lower barriers to investing in Canada's stagnant rental housing market.

• News Release : More rental housing needed to protect jobs and economy - Federal Government Must Lower Rental Investment Barriers, says FCM report
• Report: The Housing Market and Canada's Economic Recovery

A healthy housing sector, able to meet a broad range of needs, is a vital part of the economic and social wellbeing of any community.

Local governments have been implementing an array of initiatives to increase and preserve the supply of rental and affordable housing. Providing tax exemptions, addressing intensification and redevelopment, streamlining approvals, and exploring alternative development standards, municipalities are doing their part; but they can’t do it alone.

FCM's report, The Housing Market and Canada’s Economic Recovery, is calling on the federal government to provide low-interest loans to finance new rental construction; reform the tax system to prevent the demolition of existing rental housing; and provide incentives to lower rental costs through better energy efficiency.

Our Position

Canadians are concerned about the high costs of housing and the homelessness crisis across the country. Rising prices and rental shortages are putting basic housing out of reach for many people. Meanwhile, aging social housing units are leaving thousands of families, senior citizens and new immigrants struggling to find adequate shelter.

Municipalities do not have the resources to help all those in need of housing. For years, federal and provincial governments have downloaded housing responsibilities and costs on to municipalities, without providing adequate funds to do the job. Federal investments are generally short-term and ad-hoc, offering temporary assistance but never repairing our broken housing system.

In all, 1.5 million Canadians, or 12.7 per cent of all households, live in "core housing need". They spend more than 30 per cent of their monthly income on rent, leaving less for food, clothing and transport. Thousands more - including families with children - live one night to the next in emergency shelters.

All orders of government must work together to fix the growing cracks in Canada's housing system. FCM is calling on the federal government to legislate 10-year targets for construction and repair of the housing Canada needs to support its economy and reduce the burden that chronic homelessness puts on taxpayer-funded police forces, emergency rooms and social services. Required actions include:

• Renewing expiring federal housing investments
• Putting these investments on a long-term track - 10 years instead of two or three
• Introducing tax incentives to boost the number of rental units built every year

How We Do Our Work

With the support of FCM staff, our standing committee is dedicating time and attention to ensure progress is made in this area.