Prime Minister Mark Carney made an appearance at a breakfast event hosted by Ottawa’s mayor on Monday, where he shared updates on the federal housing plan’s implications for Ottawa. The Build Canada Homes agency, introduced by the Liberals in September, pledged a $13 billion fund to support the construction of affordable housing nationwide. One of the initial locations earmarked for development is a vacant federal government campus on Heron Road.
During the event at Ottawa’s Rogers Centre, Carney disclosed that the city and federal government are set to invest $400 million to erect up to 3,000 new residential units classified as either partially or fully affordable. The city plans to assist by reducing fees and property taxes for projects on federal lands, with a focus on utilizing Canadian building materials.
A report by the parliamentary budget officer in August emphasized the need for Canada to construct 690,000 new housing units by 2035, in addition to existing developments, to address housing demands. The Build Canada Homes initiative is expected to generate 26,000 new units.
Carney also revealed that the federal government will allocate $1.2 million towards a new substance abuse pilot project undertaken by the city and the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, which aims for potential expansion to other regions. This project aims to coordinate a flexible response to crime and substance abuse while fostering skills enhancement.
Additionally, Canada is vying to host the 2028 La Francophonie summit in Ottawa-Gatineau for approximately 90 member states and observers. The last time Canada hosted the summit was in 2008.
Further developments include the construction of 33 modular townhomes with three to four bedrooms each on Beechcliffe Street, in collaboration between the city and the province. The project, supported by a $3 million investment from Ottawa and land provision, will receive contributions of $3.4 million from the Ontario government and an additional $3 million from the Building Faster Fund.
Habitat for Humanity, a global charity, will play a role in this housing project.