New Federal Housing Consultation Launched

Canada Launches Consultation on Build Canada Homes - Opportunity to Shape a Major Federal Housing Initiative

Yesterday, the Government of Canada launched a public consultation on Build Canada Homes. This new federal organization will focus on building affordable housing, supporting builders with financing, and modernizing building methods, and will provide $25 billion in debt financing and $1 billion in equity to home builders. The consultation is open until August 29, 2025, and is intended to refine the initiative’s design before its formal launch.

Market Sounding Guide

‍Alongside the announcement, the Department of Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities released a six-page guidance document to help inform feedback. The document outlines Canada’s current thinking for the Build Canada Homes organization to help ground feedback.Highlights of the document include:

• Mandate: Build Canada Homes will serve as a single window to finance, develop, and deliver large-scale affordable housing projects, with a focus on long-term affordability, faster timelines, and innovative construction methods.
  

• Objectives:
  • Build affordable housing at scale – Partnering with co-ops, non-profits, Indigenous housing providers, and developers offering attainable homeownership solutions.
  • Build faster, better, smarter – Encouraging modern methods of construction (e.g., modular, prefabricated, low-carbon, net-zero) to cut costs, timelines, and environmental impact.
    
• Approach:
  • Prioritize large transactions (300+ units or portfolio deals) over numerous small projects.
  • Leverage federal lands to reduce costs and accelerate development.
  • Provide predictable, long-term financial support and sector-specific financial tools that are not well served by the private sector.
    
• Financial and Non-Financial Tools: Flexible low-interest loans, equity investments, land acquisition and development, loan guarantees, contributions, and risk-sharing mechanisms.
  
• Partnership Focus: Collaboration with all orders of government, Indigenous partners, housing providers, manufacturers, and financial institutions to align programs, unlock innovation, and address barriers.
  
• Selection Criteria: Scale, affordability, innovation in homebuilding, and efficient use of public dollars, with an emphasis on leveraging private/philanthropic capital.

Why This Matters for Sussex Clients

‍Build Canada Homes represents a significant new federal vehicle for affordable housing investment and innovation. The consultation period is a prime opportunity to:

• Shape program criteria and investment tools to better fit your project or your community’s needs.
• Highlight shovel-ready or scalable housing concepts.
• Position your organization as a partner for large-scale, innovative housing delivery.