By Jeremy Davis
Against the backdrop of global economic uncertainty due to tariffs, a Canadian federal election has been set for April 28, 2025, and this trip to the polls is shaping up to be an especially important vote on the future of Canada.
According to recent polling from Abacus Data, housing remains as one of the most important issues on voters’ minds. Canadians from coast to coast to coast are still grappling with concerns on housing affordability, lack of supply, and overall cost of living challenges that could impact their current housing situation. It is for this reason that our counterparts at the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), in collaboration with The Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH), Habitat for Humanity Canada, and the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA), have joined together to form a partnership called the Housing Canada Coalition.
The Coalition is a non-partisan movement of Canadians who want to see the next Canadian government build a housing safety net, end homelessness, solve the housing crisis, and ensure that every Canadian has a safe, secure and affordable home.
10 ideas to help build a better housing system
The Coalition has proposed ten ideas the next Canadian government can institute to protect Canadians and build a more resilient housing system that works for everyone. They are:
1. Create an immediate housing safety net to protect Canadians from the impacts of an economic shock. This includes introducing housing-focused benefits, bolstering social assistance, putting up guardrails to protect mortgages, and preparing Canada for an increase in asylum seekers.
2. Protect renters from falling into homelessness. With the risk of increased predatory market practices commonly seen in times of economic vulnerability, Canada needs to introduce measures including a freeze on no-fault evictions, support for rent banks, and introducing funds to support the acquisition and preservation of lower rent housing, to ensure that people can keep their housing.
3. Double the share of community housing. Through new policy tools such as a housing bond and an affordable housing tax credit, along with expanding and modifying existing Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) programs, Canada can support the building, acquisition, and preservation of community and affordable housing.
4. Ensure access to the land and infrastructure needed to build communities. This includes expanding the Build Canada program, supporting the repurposing surplus and underutilized lands for housing, and identifying and incentivizing the use of municipal land to build community and affordable housing.
5. Create resilient housing material supply chains that can withstanding tariffs and trade barriers. Canada needs more flexible and resilient supply chains, which could include reducing interprovincial trade barriers and measures to facilitate better access to products from non-American importers.
6. Develop a housing skills agenda for Canada that equips our workforce. This could include measures that support the re-skilling of displaced manufacturing workers into housing-related careers and efforts to recruit skilled trade workers wishing to leave the United States.
7. Reform taxes to facilitate homebuilding. We must ensure that governments have the revenue they need for infrastructure and support, while also ensuring that taxes, charges, fees and levies around homebuilding do not hinder development. This includes introducing incentives and supporting new models to build infrastructure instead of relying on development charges.
8. Streamline permissions to facilitate homebuilding. Communities can do this by ensuring that our homebuilding, through regulatory streamlining, are incenting development and leading to improved housing outcomes.
9. Accelerate innovation to build faster, less expensive, and better homes. There is no sustainable solution to Canada’s housing crisis that does not involve increased innovation — through tax credits, investment funds, and improved procurement practices, Canada can incentivize low-carbon housing and accelerate the adoption of innovative and new homebuilding technologies and practices.
10. Rapidly Expand Indigenous Urban, Rural and Northern (URN) Housing to meet the housing needs of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples and communities. Beyond the other mechanisms that exist to bolster affordable and community housing, targeted investments and distinct supports are needed to rapidly increase and meet the housing needs of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples and communities, including taking a for Indigenous, by-Indigenous approach, and expanding federal investment in URN.
Canada has been in a housing crisis for a while, and without firm action, the current trade war and increasing economic tensions can only serve to make matters worse. Now is the time for the next federal government to lead the charge in bringing all levels of government together with housing stakeholders to chart a course toward building a more resilient housing system for all.
As you prepare to make your decision on which leader and party should have the opportunity to lead Canada into the future, remember that building a strong and resilient housing system is the foundation upon which a flourishing economy and prosperous Canada can grow.
Please visit the Housing Canada Coalition campaign website endthehousinggame.ca where you can get more information on the plan and to learn how you can take action!
Jeremy Davis is the Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board’s Director External Relations & Market Intelligence.