Sector-led investment will protect affordable homes for generations and strengthen Canada's economic resilience

OTTAWA, ON, September 22, 2026. The Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA) is celebrating the announcement of the Canada Rental Protection Fund, a landmark federal investment that will help the community housing sector acquire affordable rental homes, stabilize rents, and protect tenancies across the country. This is a hard-won and long-overdue tool in the fight to end Canada's housing crisis, and CHRA is proud of the role our members and sector partners played in bringing it to life.

For years, CHRA has argued that Canada needs a permanent way to stop the loss of affordable rental homes. Our 2022 Blueprint for Housing called for exactly this kind of tool: a dedicated, ongoing program that lets non-profit, co-operative, and Indigenous housing providers step in and buy rental buildings to stabilize rents and protect tenancies. Alongside the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada, the National Indigenous Collaborative Housing Inc., and the BC Rental Protection Fund, CHRA and the community housing sector built the case for this model, drawing on the proven success of BC's own acquisition fund.

What makes this announcement worth celebrating is not just the dollars behind it, but who is driving it. The Canada Rental Protection Fund is led by the community housing sector itself. The non-market community housing sector will deliver results for the people who need it most.

The impact of this fund will be felt for generations. Every building and every affordable rent it helps preserve is a building that leaves the speculative market permanently and joins Canada's stock of non-market community housing, protected from the pressures that have eroded affordability for decades. This is exactly the kind of durable growth CHRA has called for: a real tool to pursue our goal of doubling the share of Canada's housing stock that is non-market community housing by 2035.

This investment also could not come at a more important time for Canada's economy. Research, commissioned by CHRA and conducted by Deloitte, found that closing the gap between Canada's community housing stock and the OECD average could boost national productivity by 5.7 to 9.3 percent and add between $67 billion and $136 billion to Canada's GDP. Community housing delivers these gains by keeping workers closer to good jobs, protecting household income that would otherwise be consumed by rising rents, and freeing up room for further business investment. At a moment of real economic uncertainty, when Canada needs every available lever to strengthen its productivity and resilience, affordable housing is not a cost. It is infrastructure.

“When governments work with the community housing sector, we can protect the rental homes people already rely on and keep them affordable for the long term,” said Shaun Simms, President of CHRA. “The Canada Rental Protection Fund will give community housing providers the tools to acquire existing rental properties to preserve affordability and provide greater housing stability for tenants. It is an important investment in protecting Canada’s existing rental housing while we continue to increase supply through new construction.”

CHRA looks forward to working with our partners at the Canada Housing Acquisition Fund, Build Canada Homes, and our sector partners to ensure the Canada Rental Protection Fund is rolled out quickly and delivers results for communities across the country. Our members stand ready to put this fund to work.

About CHRA

The Canadian Housing and Renewal Association is the national voice for the social, affordable, and non-profit housing sector in Canada. CHRA's members collectively house, shelter, and support hundreds of thousands of Canadians, and CHRA advocates for the policies and investments needed to ensure everyone in Canada has an affordable, secure, and decent place to call home.

Media Contact:

Leah Blunden
Senior Manager, Communications and Member Engagement
Canadian Housing and Renewal Association
Leah@chra-achru.ca
(343) 882-3403