The latest developments in housing policy from across Canada:
NATIONAL
- Federal government launches the Canada Public Land Bank
On August 28, the federal government launched its Public Land Bank. This new initiative is part of the Public Lands for Homes Plan, which aims to address the housing shortage by leasing federal lands to housing developers. The government unveiled an initial list of 56 federal properties that are available for affordable housing development. A request for development proposals has already been issued on five properties, and the federal government has also launched a public consultation to explore housing solutions that can inform current and future versions of the initiative. By making this information readily available and streamlining the development process, the government hopes to accelerate the delivery of new housing units and better meet the growing demand for affordable housing across the country. However, advocates have noted the need to prioritize non-market, community housing to achieve the greatest impact. - Putting short-term rentals back into the affordable housing stock
A new Statistics Canada report reveals that over 100,000 short-term rentals (STRs) could be used for long-term rental housing. Despite representing only one per cent of Canada’s total housing stock, the total number of STRs has increased by 60 per cent since 2017 and the number of STRs renting out entire homes has grown by 80 per cent. Airbnb argued that the proportion of STRs is too negligible to impact housing availability and affordability. While the Statistics Canada report does not explore the impact of STR growth on affordability, Fairbnb says it directly affects vacancy rates and supply. Putting STRs back in the long-term housing market could potentially raise the national vacancy rate from 1.5 to 2.4 per cent. In Nova Scotia and P.E.I., municipalities have recently adopted new regulations to restrict the use of entire homes as STRs. - Provinces and municipalities exploring solutions as students face severe housing issues across the country
As students across the country prepare for a new academic year, they also have to contend with significant housing challenges. In British Columbia, 70 per cent of students are financially unstable, with 44 per cent unable to afford basic needs such as housing and food. Students in Saskatchewan are also facing severe rental housing issues, with student housing at capacity and very few affordable options available in the market. Similar situations are unfolding in Calgary, Ottawa, and Moncton. These trends highlight a broader problem affecting student well-being and academic success. Many institutions are overwhelmed by the demand for on-campus housing, and the shortage is putting additional pressure on students already dealing with financial strains. Governments across Canada are taking steps to find solutions to the crisis and accelerate the development of student housing. In British Columbia, Premier David Eby committed $300 million to build over 1,500 new student residences at the University of British Columbia. In Quebec, a new consortium led by UTILE is using prefabricated construction methods to address the student housing shortage. This initiative, which involves collaborations between construction companies and housing organizations, aims to mitigate delays and reduce costs associated with traditional construction.
- Tiny homes and modular housing at the forefront of the fight against homelessness
To help quickly create temporary and permanent housing for people experiencing homelessness, the use of tiny homes and modular housing is on the rise across jurisdictions. At the federal level, the government is setting aside $500 million for developers that use modular or prefabricated construction techniques, which is expected to save 20 per cent of building costs while speeding up development by 20 to 50 per cent. In Nova Scotia, several municipalities are opening temporary shelter villages with self-contained tiny homes and on-site services to support individuals experiencing homelessness. In Saint John, the City is piloting a similar project which uses upcycled trailers to provide fully equipped studios on wheels to the homeless population. In Quebec and Ontario, local governments have chosen modular construction to create more transitional housing. The City of Montreal recently launched a pilot project to provide 60 modular housing units of different sizes for people experiencing homelessness who are also on a social housing waitlist. The City of Peterborough was recently recognized for its Modular Bridge Housing Community project, which was successful in transitioning people faster into permanent housing.
PROVINCIAL / TERRITORIAL
British Columbia
- B.C. Human Rights Commissioner report highlights housing as a top issue
The office of the B.C. Human Rights Commissioner released a report highlighting human rights issues people face when accessing social services, particularly in the justice, healthcare and child welfare systems. Unaffordable and inadequate housing was found to be the leading human rights issue, particularly for women and girls facing violence. The report states that B.C. residents face the highest rate of unaffordable housing in the country and recognizes that thousands of people have been forced into homelessness as a result. The report explores how these disparities and systemic inequalities affect marginalized communities, and proposes recommendations to address these inequalities and improve outcomes for impacted communities. - B.C. court overturns eviction of social housing tenant who owed $45 in unpair rent
In a recent decision, the British Columbia Court of Appeal overturned an eviction order for a social housing renter who owed $45 in unpaid rent. The renter received disability assistance and rent was paid directly to the housing provider by the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. While the Ministry was responsible for the arrears on rent, the renter had since paid the difference directly to the housing provider but was still served a one-month eviction notice in September 2023. The renter’s eviction had been upheld by lower courts, but the appeal court found the decision “patently unreasonable”, highlighting the lack of proportionality in the Residential Tenancy Branch’s decision. - Housing Minister to review above guideline rent increase rules
A recent ruling by the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) allowed a landlord to impose a 23.5 per cent rent increase beyond the 3.5 per cent annual limit. The RTB decision came in response to the landlord’s attempt to recover losses due to an increase in variable mortgage rates. While rent increases are capped annually in B.C., a regulation allows for extraordinary rent increases for unforeseen home financing increases. However, this regulation has been rarely used and previous court decisions have often rejected landlords’ claims to recoup mortgage financing losses. Advocates from the B.C. Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre and the Vancouver Tenants Union criticized the ruling and expressed concern that it could encourage landlords to shift the financial risk of their investment onto renters. They are calling on the provincial government to remove the regulation. In response, Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon recently announced that his Ministry will review the policy.
NOVA scotia
- Changes coming to the HRM Charter to increase housing supply
The Nova Scotia government is amending Halifax’s Charter to accelerate housing development and address the city’s housing crisis. The provincial government is introducing new regulations that will help simplify zoning laws and expedite permit approvals. The amendments aim to remove bureaucratic barriers and streamline processes for new housing projects, and require the municipality to prioritize increasing housing supply in all its planning decisions. Changes to minimum planning requirements will now allow residential construction in most of the city, reduce the use of urban space for parking and permit manufactured housing in all residential areas.
ONTARIO
- Ontario mayors call on the province to tackle the homelessness and opioid crisis
A recent report from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) shows a significant rise in homeless encampments across Ontario, with over 1,400 homeless encampments last year. An initial provincial estimate indicated that the unhoused population is close to 234,000 people, however the province later walked back these estimates, but failed to provide an official number. AMO released a follow up report proposing recommendations to urgently address homelessness in the province. Ontario’s Big City Mayors endorsed these recommendations and launched a campaign calling on the provincial and federal governments to increase support and resources, including by creating a dedicated ministry to address the intertwined issues of homelessness, addiction, and mental health. While the province did not respond to these recommendations, it announced $378 million to create 19 Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment Hubs, which will include up to 375 supportive housing units. At the same time, it introduced a new policy to ban safe consumption sites near schools, which will result in the closure of more than half of these sites. The Ontario NDP and Liberals, along with the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, mental health advocates and shelter providers condemned the province’s approach and argue that restricting safe consumption sites could undermine harm reduction strategies, given the complexities of addiction and recovery. - Ontario’s new planning policy to spur housing intensification
The Ontario government introduced new planning rules aimed at increasing its supply of affordable housing following multiple rounds of public consultation. Under the updated Provincial Planning Statement (PPS), municipalities are required to set minimum housing targets to increase residential development and reach the province’s goal of 1.5 million homes by 2031. The new PPS also emphasizes streamlining approval processes and reducing bureaucratic delays to expedite construction. The new PPS promotes a balance of housing densification and intensification by requiring the development of a wide range of housing options, encouraging transit-supportive housing and guaranteeing minimal land servicing for the first phase of housing development projects. In addition, it focuses on affordable housing development for lower and moderate incomes, however its definition for affordability will not address the needs of those in greatest housing need. While many stakeholders welcome the new approach as a necessary step to tackle the housing crisis, some environmental groups and advocates have expressed concerns about potential challenges in implementation and the impact of the new directives on urban sprawl. - Wins and losses of advocates and municipalities to address rising renovictions
Since 2017, the number of eviction notices issued in Ontario for renovations, demolitions, or conversions has tripled. Across the province, renter groups are protesting renovictions, and municipalities are following suit by exploring local renter protection initiatives. In Cambridge, renters are rallying to prevent a mass renoviction at their apartment complex. Renters in Guelph are also organizing to advocate for stronger municipal bylaws to address renovictions. Both renter groups are supported by ACORN Ontario, which played a critical role in the adoption of a renoviction bylaw in Hamilton, Ottawa, London and Toronto are now considering new legislation aimed at curbing renovictions, modeled after Hamilton’s bylaw. Guelph’s mayor has also issued a call for action on a renoviction bylaw, reflecting growing local concerns about housing stability. At the federal level, the NDP unveiled a proposal to ban renovictions and fixed-term leases that often lead to instability for renters.
QUEBEC
- Housing Minister unveils new housing strategy
Quebec’s Housing Minister recently unveiled the province’s long-awaited housing strategy, which focuses on increasing housing supply and improving affordability. The strategy aims to create 560,000 new housing units and introduces various measures to support low- and moderate-income families and accelerate housing development. Both renter and landlord groups expressed reservations about the strategy’s focus on new construction. FRAPRU and RCLALQ criticized the strategy for its failure to address ongoing issues in the rental market and its lack of inclusion of social and deeply affordable housing, while the Association des Propriétaires du Quebec argue that the strategy overlooks financial challenges related to repairs and maintenance faced by existing rental property owners. Concerns were also raised about the rigidity of urban planning rules and whether the proposed measures are sufficient.
Yukon
- Government releases report on review of the RLTA
The Government of Yukon released a new report summarizing feedback from a review of its Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (RLTA). The report reflects input from various stakeholders, including renters, landlords, and community organizations, on issues related to rental housing regulations. Key recommendations include clearer rules on eviction processes, improved protections for renters, and better mechanisms for resolving disputes, reflecting some of CCHR’s recommendations. The report aims to guide future legislative changes and ensure that the RLTA effectively balances the interests of both renters and property owners to improve the rental housing system in Yukon.
MUNICIPAL / LOCAL
- Municipal plans for sanctioned encampments
Several municipalities across Canada are implementing encampment response plans that seek to support unhoused residents, rather than criminalize homelessness. Hamilton is allowing encampments, provided they are not in proximity to certain social infrastructures, and is now considering designating sanctioned encampment sites with temporary shelters and on-site harm reduction services. Guelph recently determined that 90 per cent of its land could be suitable for sanctioned encampments, restricting the remaining 10 per cent. Similarly, Saint John is implementing a three-tier system of zones where encampments may be allowed, as part of its new municipal housing strategy. Halifax has already designated six sites for sanctioned encampments and is now developing a new Code of Conduct to help mitigate conflicts between encampment residents and the broader community. In each city, advocates have applauded the government’s initiatives and welcomed a more compassionate approach to encampments.