Today, the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness was pleased to join Prime Minister Mark Carney at the launch of new federal agency Build Canada Homes (BCH).

We welcomed the notable focus on delivering the supportive and deeply affordable housing needed to reduce homelessness, and the recognition of the need to partner with provinces and territories. We also appreciated remarks from the Prime Minister that reflected our recommendation that the agency needs to operate with a realistic definition of affordability – no more than 30% of pre-tax income – as opposed to definitions tied to market prices that don’t represent what people can really afford.

Given the central role that housing plays in Canadians’ quality of life and our country’s economic resilience, Build Canada Homes has the potential to be transformative. We applaud today’s commitment to fostering partnerships, moving quickly, and building at the scale needed to make housing truly affordable.

The next steps will also be critical. To succeed, Build Canada Homes must partner swiftly and effectively with provinces and territories to ensure coordination of the necessary services for new supportive housing and ensure other BCH components roll out effectively. We are also encouraging the federal government to:

• Formalize a realistic definition of affordability for BCH initiatives,
• Set clear goals for outcomes – like reducing homelessness – not just number of units built,
• Use short-term housing options to bridge people from unsheltered homelessness quickly, and
• Support Indigenous-led housing solutions, designed and delivered by Indigenous communities themselves.

We congratulate new BCH CEO Ana Bailão and look forward to working with her and the federal government to make sure this bold initiative delivers lasting change.

For more, read our full BCH recommendations here.