The federal government is leasing government-owned land to private developers to build affordable housing, and has released a new map to show where these homes could be located.
The Liberal government announced on Sunday the launch of the Canada Public Land Bank, an interactive map designed to showcase federal properties available for housing projects.
This tool allows interested parties to view details such as location, size, demographic information, and public transit access for each property.
The plan involves repurposing Canada Post, National Defence and other federal offices to create new housing across the country.
In the recent announcement, 56 properties were added to the land bank and were deemed suitable for long-term leases aimed at making housing more affordable for Canadians.
While the map was launched this weekend, the Liberal government had previously announced plans for building homes on public land in the April budget as part of Canada’s housing strategy for this year.
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From the budget, five properties that are planned to be converted into 800 homes are now advancing to the development stage with the government seeking expressions of interest or proposals from developers.
These sites include four former military bases in Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, and Ottawa, and a former National Film Board building in Montreal.
Out of the 800 homes, 600 will be built in Ontario with 500 in Ottawa, and 100 in Toronto, as per the plan announced in April.
On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a video on X providing a glimpse into the plan while taking a dig at Opposition leader Pierre Poillievre over the use of federal land, saying “the Conservative Party leader wants to sell it all off to make a quick buck. That does nothing for you.”
However, many Canadians struggling with affordability and rising costs reacted to the video.
“I wouldn’t want the federal government as my landlord lol,‘ one X user said.
“You promised this in 2015. You’ve had 9 years. You’ve done nothing,” another X user added.
“It might be a little late, but it’s definitely the need of the hour. Building more houses is exactly what we need to tackle the housing shortage and provide more affordable options for everyone. Let’s get it done!,” one X user said, seeing the announcement as positive news.
Meanwhile, the Conservative’s housing plan involves the sale of 15 per cent of all federal buildings to be turned into homes within a year and a half of passing this law, as per a statement released in 2023.
The announcement comes right before a three-day cabinet retreat, where housing is expected to be a key issue, focused on preparing for the upcoming fall parliamentary session.
