The latest developments in housing policy from across Canada:
NATIONAL
- CCHR sends initial recommendations for the Renters’ Bill of Rights to the federal government
On July 17, the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR) sent a letter to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, outlining recommended principles and scope for the Renters’ Bill of Rights (RBR), with input from renter-serving organizations and experts. We called for the development and implementation of the RBR to align with a rights-based approach, ensure enforcement and accountability measures, and protect all renters. Building on those key principles, we developed an initial list of rights that reflect the elements of adequate housing and that would provide a minimum level of protection, responding to the realities that renters face across the country. Stay tuned for our next steps to ensure the RBR can provide robust, comprehensive renter protections.
- Call for proposals opens for the Tenant Protection Fund
The Justice Partnership and Innovation Program launched an anticipatory call for proposals for the new Tenant Protection Fund, announced as part of Canada’s Housing Plan in the federal government’s 2024 budget. The fund will provide $15 million over five years to help increase access to justice for renters across Canada by filling gaps in legal services, supports, and information. The fund includes two streams: public legal education and information (including research and policy development) and legal information and advice services. Applications are due October 1, 2024 and several information sessions are taking place over the summer. This fund is a critical opportunity to help advance the right to housing for renters through increased access to justice. - Additional funding available through the Housing Accelerator Fund
Municipalities that were unsuccessful in the first round of the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) application process are now able to apply for the second round of funding. In its 2024 budget , the federal government committed an additional $400 million to HAF, which is estimated to produce 12,000 new homes over the next four years. Applicants must integrate best practices from the previous round of HAF, which focus on zoning requirements, use of public land, improved processes, and affordability.
ATLANTIC CANADA
NOVA SCOTIA
- Housing support announced for Nova Scotians fleeing gender-based violence
The federal government is investing $11.3 million over four years in housing support for Nova Scotians escaping gender-based violence (GBV), which will be cost-matched by the province. The fund is estimated to benefit 400 families and will offer a flat rate based on family size. Eligibility requirements and the amount of financial support available through the fund will be reassessed in its second year, based on average market rates and household income. According to the Transition House Association of Nova Scotia, women in the province report higher rates of GBV than in other provinces, and the lack of access to safe, affordable housing is a key barrier to escaping abusive relationships. The intersections between GBV and housing insecurity were also examined in CCHR’s recent report, Nowhere To Go. - Opposition party calls for the establishment of a tenancy enforcement unit
Nova Scotia’s opposition New Democratic Party (NDP) has reissued a call for the government to establish a tenancy enforcement unit, which would provide accountability and enforcement for violations under the Residential Tenancies Act. The NDP introduced legislation last fall, and the government has received a consultant’s report on establishing such a unit, but no action has been taken to date. Meanwhile, legal aid services have seen a staggering increase in requests from renters facing tenancy issues, including renovictions, illegal fees, and unsafe living conditions.
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
- New report shows that a high rate of former inmates have been released into homelessness
The John Howard Society released findings showing that 64 per cent of former inmates from the Provincial Correctional Centre were released into homelessness between April 2023 and March 2024. The organization cites the lack of transitional housing on P.E.I. as a major obstacle for former inmates transitioning out of the correctional system, along with intersecting barriers related to mental health and addiction issues, and barriers posed by having a criminal record. Despite the availability of funding to create transitional and other supportive housing, plans to develop a halfway house on P.E.I. two years ago were cancelled after community pushback. - Province is on track to exceed social housing targets
P.E.I. is on track to exceed its targets to build 560 new social housing units over the next five years. The province recorded 1,139 housing starts in 2023, which included 250 social housing units, well above the pace required to meet the target. Currently, P.E.I.’s stock of social housing represents approximately three per cent of its overall housing stock. This is below the national average of 3.5 per cent and well below the average level of seven per cent in other countries. Given the widespread need for affordable housing options, some housing advocates are calling on governments to prioritize social housing so it represents 20 per cent of the rental housing stock in Canada. P.E.I.’s current targets would bring the province’s social housing ratio to 3.3 per cent of its overall housing stock, while an additional 3,000 new social housing units would need to be built over five years to reach the seven per cent benchmark.
CENTRAL CANADA
ONTARIO
- More renters are disputing own-use eviction applications
Data from Ontario’s Landlord and Tenant Board show that “own-use” eviction applications – when a landlord or their family member wants to move into a rental unit – have increased by 85 per cent since 2020. At the same time, renter applications to dispute such evictions have quadrupled, leading to twice the number of fines for bad faith evictions in 2023 compared to 2022, though only 23 fines were issued. While landlord groups have signaled the need to move back into their properties due to high interest rates, renter advocates say the absence of vacancy control provides an incentive for landlords to evict long-term renters paying below market rates to bring in renters who can pay higher rents. As a result, many lower-income renters are left with few affordable options.
QUEBEC
- Quebec renters are facing increasing rates of housing need and homelessness
Over 1,600 households across Quebec were still looking for housing after July 1, which is moving day in the province. Three hundred and seventy-nine of those households were in temporary housing provided by municipalities or relatives. Le Front d’action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU) noted the lack of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income renters, alongside discrimination in the housing market, as key barriers affecting housing access, and called for more community housing, better renter protections, and a ban on short-term rentals. Meanwhile, new survey data shows that approximately 15 per cent of Montreal renters reported experiencing an episode of homelessness in 2024, up from 10 per cent in 2023.
WESTERN CANADA
MANITOBA
- Winnipeg targets vacant buildings to increase affordable housing
The City of Winnipeg is looking to leverage vacant properties to provide more affordable housing, which could include selling lots for $1 to non-profit housing providers and accelerating the city’s acquisition of vacant or dilapidated properties. Currently, the process to dispose of an unused property can be timely and delay affordable housing development. The Right to Housing Coalition in Manitoba supported the proposal, but called for the city to ensure that new affordable housing construction includes rent-geared-to-income (RGI) units for low-income families. The coalition estimates that Winnipeg needs 7,500 RGI units, plus 5,000 units for people experiencing homelessness. - Province is investigating mass evictions from an apartment building in Winnipeg
Following the sudden, mass eviction of renters in a Winnipeg apartment building, the Manitoba government is working to rehome residents, compensate them for lost belongings, and investigate the property owners. The investigation is being led by the Residential Tenancies Branch and could lead to substantive charges, which may include criminal charges.
SASKATCHEWAN
- Saskatoon experts are hopeful the Housing Accelerator Fund will help address housing affordability
The City of Saskatoon was recently approved for $41.3 million under the federal Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF), after approving zoning changes that will allow for greater density across the city. Advocates are hopeful that the new funding will help create more affordable housing, as the city is currently facing low vacancy rates and few affordable options. However, the funding is only expected to produce 300 new units each year, which is not enough to keep pace with demand. CCHR submitted a letter of support to Saskatoon City Council for the zoning changes required to access the HAF, highlighting the need to build and maintain an adequate supply of rent-geared-to-income, affordable, transitional, and supportive housing, alongside supports and protections for renters.
Alberta
- Calgary announces new affordable housing initiative
The City of Calgary launched a new three-year, $60 million program as part of its Housing Capital Initiative to support charities, non-profits, and Indigenous organizations to build new or acquire existing affordable rental housing. The city would provide up to 30 per cent of project funding and aims to leverage funding from other levels of government. The funding requires projects to maintain below-market rents for at least 20 years, while projects that commit to longer-term affordability, lower rents, and faster timelines will be prioritized. Applications are open until October 10. - Edmonton calls for greater provincial funding to tackle homelessness
The City of Edmonton is calling on the provincial government to increase funding for affordable and supportive housing and coordinate with other levels of government to address rising rates of homelessness. In response, the Alberta government committed to reviewing a list of programs and services for which the city is seeking funding. However, some advocates expressed concern that the city is not taking responsibility for its role in tackling the homelessness crisis. According to Homeward Trust Edmonton, the city requires up to 1,700 supportive housing units to provide housing for people experiencing homelessness.
British Columbia
- Province launches website to protect renters from bad-faith evictions
The B.C. government launched a new online portal on July 18, which aims to address bad-faith evictions when landlords falsely claim they need a rental unit for their personal use. The portal requires landlords to generate eviction notices for personal use and provide information about who will be taking over a unit. Renters will now have 30 days to dispute evictions (up from 15 days), and landlords must provide four months’ notice for personal-use evictions (up from two months). The portal will allow the government to conduct post-eviction compliance audits and track the frequency of personal-use evictions. Advocates welcomed the portal as an important data collection tool to help address the rising rate of no-fault evictions, while also calling for additional landlord accountability measures and vacancy control. - Province rejects Victoria’s request for vacancy control
For the third time in as many years, the B.C. government has rejected the City of Victoria’s request to implement vacancy control, citing concerns that it would deter rental housing development, despite evidence to the contrary. In response, the province noted its support for renters by limiting annual allowable rent increases below inflation and addressing renovictions. Meanwhile, rents for vacant units in Victoria were 41 per cent higher last year compared to those with ongoing tenancies.