Blueprint for Housing

CHRA’s Blueprint for Housing is an extensive policy document that will help inform CHRA’s advocacy efforts over the next several years as we work towards our goal of ensuring that all who live in Canada have access to safe, affordable, appropriate housing.

Informed by an extensive consultation process with CHRA members, housing leaders, and stakeholders, the Blueprint for Housing was born of a sector-wide realization: that existing housing policies and programs are not doing enough to ensure that all who live in Canada have homes that are affordable and meet their needs. The Blueprint outlines the key issues facing Canada’s community housing sector and identifies 27 recommendations to address them.

The Blueprint explores the following key areas of interest for the community housing sector:

1. Urban, Rural, and Northern Indigenous housing: Implementing Reconciliation for Indigenous peoples
2. Community Housing Supply: Meeting the needs of the next generation
3. Existing Community Housing Stock: Repair and renewal
4. Maintaining Affordability
5. A Home for All: Eliminating homelessness and strengthening supportive housing
6. A “Team Canada” Approach to Housing

 

Our urgent advocacy priorities

The CHRA team consulted with our members to identify the following urgent priorities from the Blueprint’s recommendations that will be prioritized in our advocacy efforts going forward:

1. The creation of a fully funded Indigenous-governed Urban, Rural and Northern (URN) Indigenous Housing Centre that develops and delivers the URN Indigenous Housing Strategy.
2. The creation of a national Property Acquisition Program to support community housing providers with pre-approved CMHC funding and financing to buy existing rental properties and preserve affordability.
3. That the government increase the value of grants for the creation, repair, and renewal of affordable housing through National Housing Strategy programs to offset skyrocketing borrowing costs. 

 

We believe that community housing is the key to unlocking a Canada that is fair, inclusive, and affordable for all. The Blueprint for Housing is a roadmap for making this future a reality.