Recent polling indicates that 44% of Canadians feel housing affordability is their biggest worry. Local leaders share their concern.

The Challenge

Canada is in the grip of a housing and affordability crisis and municipalities are on the front lines. Housing is more than just a roof over your head, but a place to foster a sense of safety, belonging and economic opportunity. Yet across Canada, safe and affordable housing options are dwindling.

The Solutions

FCM advocates for solutions that can efficiently address gaps in housing and related infrastructure needs in communities across the country.

Additionally, to ensure accessibility to the right type of housing, we need a coordinated effort to increase the supply of non-profit housing, including co-op and non-profit rental housing for middle-income households and deeply affordable social housing for low-income Canadians.

FCM is also urging the federal government to prioritize use of public lands for supportive, transitional and non-profit housing, and make the Reaching Home program permanent, with increased funding.

However, a more equitable funding model for municipalities is required to support the growth our communities have experienced over the last years.

Our Gains

Thanks to FCM’s relentless advocacy, municipalities have obtained major gains to help address gaps in housing and related infrastructure needs.

  • The $6-billion Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund announced in 2024 is a direct response to FCM’s advocacy for increased support for housing-related infrastructure needs.
  • The Housing Accelerator Fund, launched in 2023, helps municipalities access support needed to increase the right kind of housing supply for their communities.
  • The Rapid Housing Initiative, launched in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 crisis, funds the quick delivery of deeply affordable housing with local solutions.
  • The National Housing Strategy, launched in 2017, supports municipalities in replacing, maintaining and building new social and affordable housing in their communities.

We need leadership from all orders of government to tackle the housing affordability crisis. Together, we can make sure everyone in Canada can access a safe, decent and affordable place to call home.

Local housing solutions in action
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Converting empty office space to homes in downtown Calgary

The City of Calgary is investing $100 million in the Downtown Calgary Development Incentive Program, which focuses on supporting downtown building owners in the conversion of vacant office space to residential use and the development of vibrant downtown neighbourhoods. The City has approved five projects for funding, which together remove about 665,000 square feet of empty office space from the market and create 707 homes.

Decorative
Gatineau creates “Shock Committee” to tackle housing crisis

To deal with the housing crisis and a low vacancy rate, the City of Gatineau has established a “shock committee” designed to unblock housing projects by taking a several-pronged approach to develop housing as efficiently as possible. The committee is made up of housing leaders throughout the city and will act on four priority areas: affordability, accessibility, equity and efficiency. (**French only)

Decorative
Filling information gaps with the Rural Housing Information System

The Rural Ontario Institute, Eastern Ontario Wardens’ Caucus, and IT Firm Itergy are partnering to create an innovative digital tool that will aggregate trends, costs, available land, available incentives, local organizations open to collaboration and more to provide municipalities with the information they need to create in the planning and construction of new affordable housing. The tool is expected to launch in the spring of 2023.

Decorative
More affordable housing, faster in Toronto

Over 900 new affordable rental homes have been approved by Toronto City Council through the Open Door Affordable Rental Housing Program. Since launching in 2016, the Open Door program has supported the creation of more than 21,700 affordable rental homes in Toronto. The program accelerates the construction of affordable housing by providing City financial contributions, including capital funding fees and property tax relief, fast-tracking planning approvals, and activating surplus public land.

Related focus areas
Explore the topics we’re working on related to housing.
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