In Canada, 1 in 5 households struggle to find affordable housing.

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What do Canadians think about Affordable Housing?

0%

of Canadians have had trouble paying housing costs at some point in their lives.

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of Canadians think we're not paying enough attention to affordable housing.

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of Canadians say high costs are the biggest barrier to homeownership.

#election2021
Latest News

Election Update – Analysis of the Party Platforms

The Vote Housing campaign recently released an analysis of the housing and homelessness platforms of each…

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Latest Update-Election Platforms

Here’s where each of the parties stand on how to fix Canada’s Housing Crisis:…

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#VoteHousing

#VoteHousing Mission “To engage Canadians to pledge to vote housing in the upcoming federal election and ensure all…

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#election2021

As the federal election campaign officially starts, we’d like to say good luck to all candidates running! At Habitat for Humanity, we believe everyone has the right to a safe and decent place to live, and that it benefits all of society when they do. That’s why we are looking Beyond the Build, to how decent housing transforms futures, strengthens communities, and fosters resiliency and stability that can transcend generations. We are committed to partnering with the government, with other affordable housing advocates, and with communities at most risk, including people who are newcomers, racialized, and Indigenous, on and off Traditional Territories, to tackle the housing crisis in this country.

Federal Election Resources

#VoteHousing

Vote Housing is a national non-partisan campaign designed to engage and mobilize Canadians to pledge to #VoteHousing in the upcoming federal election.

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Political Party Platforms

We encourage you to review all political party platforms regarding housing policies, speak to your candidates about housing issues, and most importantly, vote on September 20th!

The Liberal Party Platform

The Conservative Party Platform

The New Democratic Party Platform

Green Party Platform

Bloc Quebecois Platform
Elections Canada

Follow or visit Elections Canada to learn more about how to vote.

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Housing Resources

Housing Strategies
- Federal: National Housing Strategy
- Provincial: Ontario’s Housing Supply Action Plan
- Regional: Halton: 2014-2024 Comprehensive Housing Strategy
- Regional: Peel: Peel Housing and Homelessness Plan
- Dufferin County: 10-year Housing and Homelessness Plan
Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (ONPHA)
- ONPHA represents nearly 700 non-profit housing providers and local housing corporations in Ontario. It’s vision is “to open doors through housing, allowing all people to thrive.”
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Policy Recommendations

We are advancing the following recommendations to all parties and candidates.

Increase affordable housing providers’ access to affordable land, by:
- Introducing a new property acquisitions program to provide grants and loans to purchase and refurbish properties for affordable purchase and rental, and support land assembly.
- Accelerating and expanding the Federal Lands Initiative and extending it to allow for the exchange of surplus lands held by other orders of government.
Invest in affordable housing through strategies that address the gross inequity experienced by Indigenous people and BIPOC communities by:
- Acting on calls by Canadian Housing Renewal Association and others to create and implement an Indigenous urban housing strategy.
- Maintain and expand funding streams and initiatives that target the housing needs of specific communities.
Incent the building of more affordable housing by tying federal funding for municipal governments to actions that support more supply, including:
- Prioritizing available land for affordable housing.
- Changing zoning laws and processes to allow affordable housing to be built faster and more cost-effectively.
- Offering property tax and development fees reductions or waivers to builders and buyers of affordable homes.
Fully leverage federal funding and partnerships to build more affordable homes that families can hold equity in, including by:
- Ensuring that program requirements do not exclude non-market housing providers like Habitat for Humanity from accessing government funding.
- Waiving GST/HST for affordable home sales delivered through charities.

The Importance of Affordable Home Ownership

As indicated by the report “Building Families’ Futures and Opportunities Through Habitat Homeownership” Habitat’s model of affordable homeownership helps families build strength, stability and independence – and builds stronger, healthier communities at the same time. While homeownership has become much more challenging for Canadians, it remains out of reach for many low-income families. Habitat’s model of affordable homeownership bridges a gap for people, providing working families on low incomes the opportunity to purchase their own home. On average, Habitat generates $175,000 of benefits to society per home. These benefits come in the form of reduced reliance on social housing and food banks, better educational and employment outcomes and improved health. In Canada, Habitat’s affordable homeownership program has created a social return on investment of over $633 million since 1985.