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…

Canada’s housing crisis is not a single problem; it is a failure across an interconnected system. Piecemeal interventions targeting one part of the system while neglecting others have produced a decade of worsening outcomes: record-high rents, a surge in homelessness, and a dramatic erosion of affordability for low- to median-income Canadians. A clear, coordinated, and…

CHRA’s National Awards honour the leaders and innovators of the community housing and homelessness sector, highlighting the exceptional people and programs that go above and beyond to ensure a safe and affordable home for all. The Awards draw attention to the exceptional achievements of the community housing sector on a national stage and inspire positive…

Canada’s first National Housing Strategy (NHS) launched in 2017. The National Housing Strategy Act was enacted two years later; it added new standards, such as the requirement for the federal government to maintain a strategy that takes into account a human rights-based approach to housing, improves outcomes for people in the greatest need, and furthers…

Sessions at Congress in 2026 focused on ways the sector can continue to grow despite its challenges, with extensive discussion about risk-taking, collaboration, leveraging resources, and reframing our narratives around the social and economic dividends of community housing. Presenters brought insights ranging between highly pragmatic, normative, and aspirational, painting a picture of both the future…

We’re pleased to open the call for proposals for the 2026 CHRA National Congress on Housing and Homelessness, scheduled to take place April 27–29, 2027, in Québec City! This event will bring together leaders, practitioners, policymakers, and advocates from across the country to engage in critical discussions and share innovative solutions to address housing and…

Canada’s housing crisis is not a single problem; it is a failure across an interconnected system. Piecemeal interventions targeting one part of the system while neglecting others have produced a decade of worsening outcomes: record-high rents, a surge in homelessness, and a dramatic erosion of affordability for low- to median-income Canadians. A clear, coordinated, and…

Bill C-20 gives Build Canada Homes a mandate to build affordable housing. CHRA strongly supports this ambition, but we want to be clear: this must prioritize non-market community housing. Without intentional focus, the pressures of scale and speed can push investment toward easier market-based options, which do not provide the long-term truly affordable homes that…

Federal Spring Economic Update 2026: What It Means for Community Housing (April 28, 2026) — Ottawa, ON On April 28, 2026, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne tabled the Spring Economic Update 2026. Tabled under the newly elected Liberal majority government led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, the update was framed as a plan to build a…

On Apr 22, we were proud to honour the recipients of the 2026 CHRA Awards during the CHRA Congress in St. John’s:   Indigenous Cultural Sustainability Award: Organization – Silver Sage Housing Outstanding Programs and Initiatives Award: Organization – Pacifica Housing Advisory Association Leadership Award: Individual – Dr. Craig Jones Outstanding Development Award: Organization -…