When Parliament resumes on May 26, it will mark the beginning of a critically important chapter in Canada’s response to the housing crisis. Just this week, Prime Minister Carney announced his new Cabinet, with Gregor Robertson being sworn in as Canada’s new Minister of Housing and Infrastructure. These early days of the new government are a critical time to shape the direction of housing policy and ensure that federal initiatives truly meet the needs of communities across the country.

One of the most significant and potentially transformative commitments made during the election campaign was the creation of Build Canada Homes (BCH), a new federal agency designed to accelerate housing construction and tackle Canada’s housing crisis. This proposed crown corporation is a keystone part of the Liberal Party’s housing plan that aims to help Canada reach 500,000 new housing starts per year.

For the community housing sector, BCH represents an interesting opportunity; one we must make work for us.

The federal government has signaled that BCH will bring substantial resources to the table: $25 billion in financing to support Canada’s growing sector of innovative, prefabricated home builders – particularly those using Canadian materials and technologies like mass timber and softwood lumber. In addition, the agency will have $11.8 billion in low-cost financing and capital earmarked specifically for “affordable home builders”.

These investments into community housing can be a critical tool for helping to build the type of housing that can achieve equity and long-term affordability in our housing system. We know that Canada doesn’t just need more homes – it needs the right homes: homes that are safe, deeply affordable, culturally appropriate, and built to serve the needs of diverse communities.

In short, Canada needs more community housing. We need to more than double the share of community housing, from less than 4% of all homes, to more than 8% in the next decade. That include quadrupling the supply of for-Indigenous, by-indigenous community housing.

Community housing providers have long been on the front lines of the housing crisis. We know how to stretch every dollar, how to adapt quickly to local needs, and how to innovate in ways that serve people, not just profit margins. Across the country, our sector has demonstrated time and again that we can deliver. We’ve built permanent housing for those exiting homelessness. We’ve created culturally rooted housing for urban, rural and northern Indigenous Peoples. We’ve developed energy-efficient, sustainable buildings that are good for people and our environment.

The sector is united by a core commitment: to create as many good and affordable homes as possible for people in Canada. By working with community housing providers, the federal government can tap into decades of experience and a deep well of creativity, determination, and problem-solving. In a moment that calls for urgency and ambition, our sector is ready to lead.

As BCH begins to take shape, likely with its initial design outlined in the next federal budget, it’s essential that the community housing sector has a seat at the table. At CHRA, we are already taking action to ensure that happens.

Over the coming weeks and months, CHRA will be directly engaging with federal decision-makers – Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, and senior public servants – to make the case for a BCH agency that prioritizes the community housing sector. We’ll be drawing on the expertise of researchers, policy specialists, and our members across the country to bring forward real-world insight into what works, what’s needed, and how the federal government can make this agency truly effective.

We’re committed to being a constructive, solutions-focused partner. This will require creative thinking and hard work, but that’s what our sector does best. We’ll also be connecting with our network to ensure your ideas, experiences, and solutions are front and centre in our advocacy.

This moment is about more than just programs and financing – it’s about charting a path toward a housing system that works for everyone. At CHRA, our long-term goal is clear: we aim to double the share of community housing in Canada and quadruple the amount of urban, rural, and northern Indigenous housing. These are not just numbers; they represent a vision for a Canada where no one is left behind.

BCH could play a powerful role in achieving that vision. But it must be built in partnership with the community housing sector. Only then can we ensure that federal investments result in deeply affordable homes, delivered efficiently, equitably, and with long-term impact.

As Parliament returns and the government begins to implement its new housing platform, we’re stepping into a moment of real possibility. If done right, BCH can help us move toward a more fair, inclusive, and just housing system – one that reflects the best of what Canada can be.

We’re ready to get to work.