Canada is struggling through a worsening housing crisis. Since 2021, housing costs have risen dramatically, increasing the number of people facing these same challenges.
By investing directly in growing the community housing sector in Canada we can provide people with safe, affordable, and appropriate places to live. Doing so would support a national right to housing and would allow people to invest in themselves and their communities. To that end, CHRA is making the following recommendations for the 2025/2026 federal budget:
Recommendation 1: Close the gap on Indigenous housing by investing $3 billion per year into the Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy.
Recommendation 2: Reform and extend the Affordable Housing Fund to 2035.
Recommendation 3: Provide stabilized pre-development funding to build more non-profit community housing.
Recommendation 4: Accelerate the Rental Protection Fund.
Recommendation 5: Work with provincial and territorial governments to provide more directed investments to build supportive housing.
Recommendation 6: Invest in the growth of the community housing sector.
Recommendation 7: Protect low-income households by extending federal rental assistance programs.
Recommendation 8: Prioritize community housing for development on public lands.