Prime Minister Mark Carney made an appearance on Monday morning at a breakfast event hosted by Ottawa’s mayor, where he unveiled new details about the federal housing plan’s implications for Ottawa. The Liberals introduced the Build Canada Homes agency in September, committing to a $13-billion fund to support the construction of affordable housing nationwide. One of the initial locations identified for development is a deserted federal government campus on Heron Road.
During the event at Ottawa’s Rogers Centre, Carney disclosed that the city and federal government will jointly invest $400 million to erect up to 3,000 new residential units in buildings that will be designated as partially or entirely affordable. The city plans to assist by reducing fees and property taxes for projects on federal lands, and the government has pledged to prioritize Canadian building materials.
A recent report by the parliamentary budget officer highlighted the need for Canada to construct 690,000 new housing units by 2035, in addition to current projects, to address the country’s housing requirements. The Build Canada Homes initiative is projected to yield 26,000 new units.
In other announcements, Carney mentioned that the federal government will allocate $1.2 million towards a new substance abuse pilot program developed in partnership with the city and the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, with hopes of expanding its reach to other regions. This initiative aims to coordinate a flexible response to substance abuse and crime while emphasizing skills enhancement.
Moreover, Canada intends to submit a bid to host the 2028 La Francophonie summit in Ottawa-Gatineau for the organization’s approximately 90 member states and observers. The country last hosted the summit in 2008.
Additionally, a collaboration between the city and province will result in the construction of 33 modular townhomes comprising three to four bedrooms each on Beechcliffe Street near Woodroffe Avenue and Knoxdale Road. The city is investing $3 million in the project and providing the land, with the Ontario government contributing $3.4 million and an additional $3 million from the province’s Building Faster Fund. Habitat for Humanity, a global charity, will play a role in this initiative.