🏚️ Who Does Build Canada Homes Really Serve?Not the Forgotten 😢

By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita

This week Sean Speer at The Hub published a critique of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new Build Canada Homes agency. Speer argues that the program is too narrowly focused on building deeply affordable housing for low-income households, while the “real crisis,” in his view, is that even middle-class families can’t afford homes anymore.

That’s an interesting perspective. But let me offer another one — from the ground level. 🌎

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🚨 The Forgotten Poor

While commentators debate whether the government is doing “too much” for the poor, the reality is that people on social assistance, the unhoused, seniors, and disabled people are still being left behind.

Every time Ottawa or Victoria announces a housing plan, the numbers sound impressive. Thousands of units! Millions in investment! But when you look closer, those “affordable” homes are often pegged at 80% of market rent. Do the math: in BC, that can still mean $1,500 or more for a one-bedroom. 💸

Now compare that to the $500 shelter allowance provided to people on assistance. These units are out of reach before the ribbon is even cut. ✂️

So when we hear that Build Canada Homes is creating 4,000–5,000 units, we have to ask: how many will actually go to the most vulnerable people? For those sleeping in tents, lining up at shelters, or trying to survive on social assistance, the answer is almost always none. ❌

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🏠 Where Are the Tiny Homes?

For years, communities have called for tiny homes, modular shelters, and land use for emergency housing villages. These are fast, cost-effective, and can be built with dignity — complete with gardens, kitchens, and a sense of safety. 🌱

Yet Build Canada Homes doesn’t include these solutions. Why? Because tiny homes don’t fit into the glossy “development” model that politicians like to announce. They don’t generate the same headlines for real estate markets or construction lobbyists. But they do save lives. 💔

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⚖️ Structural Fix vs. Human Emergency

Sean Speer wants zoning reform, faster permits, and private sector supply. I don’t disagree that long-term reform is necessary. But people can’t wait 10 years for trickle-down affordability. ⏳

While economists debate, people are dying outside in Canadian winters. Housing is not just about productivity or GDP — it’s about human survival and dignity. 🙏

Build Canada Homes may claim to help, but without immediate emergency housing for those at the bottom, it risks becoming yet another policy that ignores the people who need it most.

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❓ The Real Question

Who does Build Canada Homes really serve?

• 👨‍👩‍👧 The middle class, as Speer hopes?
• 🏗️ The construction industry, which benefits from big builds?
• 🎥 Or the political class, eager for photo ops?

Because right now, it certainly isn’t serving the people on social assistance, the unhoused, or those priced permanently out of the market.

Until governments commit to tiny homes, modular villages, and real affordability tied to social assistance rates, Canada’s housing crisis will continue to leave the most vulnerable out in the cold. 🥶

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✍️ Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita