Federal government announces new measures to help build more homes across Canada

From: Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada

News release

Ottawa, Ontario, November 7, 2024 — Today, Sean Fraser, the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, announced two new measures that will help unlock more homes across the country.

The launch of the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund’s (CHIF) $1 billion direct delivery stream will provide communities across Canada with funding to build or improve the critical infrastructure – such as drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and solid waste – that will in turn help them build more homes.

Starting today, municipalities and Indigenous communities will be able to apply online. Applicants will need to clearly demonstrate how their proposed projects will support more homes by expanding or improving critical infrastructure. Municipalities with a population larger than 30,000 will be required to allow four units to be built in their communities. More information about the CHIF, including details on eligibility and how to apply, can be found on the Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada’s website.

CHIF is a $6 billion program announced through Budget 2024 and supports the objectives of Canada’s Housing Plan. The remaining $5 billion will be delivered through agreements with provinces and territories that support local infrastructure priorities while advancing federal housing objectives.

He also announced that Canada’s Regional Development agencies have begun accepting applications for the Regional Homebuilding Innovation Initiative (RHII). Through RHII, Canada’s Regional Development Agencies are investing $50 million over two years, beginning this year, to provide support to the residential home construction sector and its supply chain.

The initiative will advance innovative homebuilding solutions while boosting manufacturing efficiency and output to improve capacity within the homebuilding sector across the country. It will also prioritize projects such as modular housing, the use of 3D printing, and panelized construction. 

Quotes

"These two initiatives will go a long way in fast tracking investments in critical infrastructure that communities need and advancing innovative homebuilding solutions that will help build more homes, faster across Canada. No one level of government can end the housing crisis on their own, and these programs are just some of the ways we are partnering with others across the country to ensure that all Canadians have a safe and affordable place to call home."

The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

“Our government is taking bold action to address Canada’s housing crisis through innovation and strategic investments. The Regional Homebuilding Innovation Initiative will inject $50 million into modernizing and expediting homebuilding across the country. By supporting cutting-edge technologies like modular homes, net-zero 3D printing, and mass timber construction, we are building an innovative, efficient, and sustainable future for Canadian homebuilding. This initiative will boost productivity, strengthen supply chains, and ultimately help create more affordable housing options for Canadians.”

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

Quick facts

  • Call for project proposals under the direct delivery stream of the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF) will open November 7, 2024. Applications will be accepted until March 31st, 2025.

  • At least 10% of funding under the direct delivery stream will be set aside for projects serving First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. Eligible Indigenous applicants will have until May 19, 2024, to submit their projects. 

  • On September 13, 2024, Minister Fraser called on all provinces and territories to commit to actions that will increase Canada’s housing supply in exchange for $5 billion in funding through CHIF. Provinces will have until January 1, 2025 to secure an agreement, and territories will have until April 1, 2025. Funding for provinces and territories that do not finalize an agreement and commit to key housing-enabling conditions by the required date will be transferred to the direct delivery stream.

  • On April 12, 2024, the federal government released its ambitious housing plan, Solving the housing crisis: Canada’s Housing Plan, supported by new investments from Budget 2024. The plan acknowledges the diverse needs of Canadians and centres around these three pillars:

    • Building more homes.
    • Making it easier to own or rent a home.
    • Helping Canadians who can’t afford a home.

  • The Regional Homebuilding Innovation Initiative's (RHII) goal is to advance innovative homebuilding solutions and boost productivity within the homebuilding sector in Canada. The RHII prioritizes projects that support innovative homebuilding solutions and demonstrate a clear connection in expediting change in the way homes are built in Canada. 

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Contacts

For more information (media only), please contact:

Sofia Ouslis
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
sofia.ouslis@infc.gc.ca

Media Relations
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada
613-960-9251
Toll free: 1-877-250-7154
Email: media-medias@infc.gc.ca
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