A comprehensive plan to protect against loss of housing, build more non-profit housing and create resiliency in the construction industry must be a major part of Canada’s response to the economic fallout from the Trump tariffs, according to a coalition of four national housing organizations.
The Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness, Canadian Housing and Renewal Association, Habitat for Humanity Canada and the Canadian Real Estate Association outlined 10 broad recommendations and 56 specific proposals to immediately help those most vulnerable to eviction or foreclosure amid the economic shock and job losses; to make our housing system more resilient and less dependent on American suppliers; and to double the supply of affordable non-profit homes.
“The trade war will have a direct, negative impact on the Canadian housing market at a time when millions of Canadians are already struggling to find a safe and affordable place to call home. It will strain Canada’s economy and labour market, and worsen unaffordability, which will further drive housing insecurity and more Canadians into homelessness,” the coalition said.
Proposed measures to protect people from losing their homes include introducing housing-focused benefits, bolstering social assistance, protecting mortgages, and preparing Canada for an increase in asylum seekers.
“With the risk of increased predatory market practices commonly seen in times of economic vulnerability, Canada needs to introduce measures including a freeze on no-fault evictions, support for rent banks, and introducing funds to support the acquisition and preservation of lower rent housing, to ensure that people can keep their housing.” Our Affordable Housing Team would argue that, in addition, we need to stop allowing landlords to raise rents by unlimited rent increases when tenancies end; without that, rents will keep soaring and landlords will continue to have an incentive to get tenants with affordable rents to leave.
Other proposals call ensuring access to the land, including surplus public lands, and infrastructure needed to build communities; creating Canadian sources of housing construction materials and better access to non-American imports; measures to expand the number of construction workers; reforming taxes to encourage homebuilding, including funding infrastructure from sources other than development fees; streamlining development approvals; encouraging innovation; and rapidly expanding Indigenous Urban, Rural and Northern (URN) Housing to meet the housing needs of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.
Shaun Simms, President-elect, Canadian Housing and Renewal Association, left, noted, “Strategic investments in community housing help people access affordable homes, drive recovery, create jobs, and support local businesses.”
You can read the report here: https://chra-achru.ca/news/housing-coalition-releases-plan-to-protect-canadians-and-fight-housing-crisis-amid-trade-war/