how could Canada actually solve our housing problem?
Yes, Canada has many of the tools needed.
The question is whether governments will use them at the scale and speed required.
According to the latest CMHC Fall 2026 Housing Supply Report, Canada needs approximately 417,000 to 469,000 housing starts every year to restore pre-pandemic affordability by 2036.
Under current projections, that leaves an annual supply gap of approximately 187,000 to 238,000 homes.
That's a massive number.
So what could Canada actually do?
1. build housing people can actually afford
Canada needs more than expensive condos and luxury housing.
We need a much larger supply of:
- non-market housing
- co-ops
- social housing
- supportive housing
- deeply affordable rentals
- affordable family housing
- seniors' housing
- accessible housing
Housing isn't one giant category.
Different people need different kinds of homes.
2. use public land for public housing
Federal, provincial and municipal governments own public land.
Instead of simply selling valuable land to the highest bidder, governments can use that land for long-term affordable housing.
The federal government's Build Canada Homes initiative specifically includes leveraging public land as part of its approach.
Why shouldn't public land help create a permanent public benefit?
3. build faster with modern construction
We already know that standardized and prefabricated construction can help reduce construction time and costs.
In British Columbia, Canada and BC have committed to an initial 1,100 homes through a partnership involving 700 supportive and transitional homes and 400 affordable rental homes.
The project uses standardized designs and prefabricated, Canadian-made components.
That's the kind of approach worth expanding.
4. stop making every housing project take years
Zoning.
Permits.
Development charges.
Regulatory barriers.
These can all affect how quickly and affordably housing gets built.
Canada's new Improving Housing Supply Act provides $1.7 billion to provinces and territories to help remove barriers and increase housing supply, including measures such as reducing development fees and levies.
But money alone isn't enough.
We need measurable results.
How many homes?
How quickly?
At what price?
And most importantly:
How many will actually be affordable to people who need them?
5. build the infrastructure too
If we're going to increase housing density, we also need the infrastructure that makes communities work:
- water
- sewer
- transit
- roads
- schools
- parks
- community services
You can't simply build thousands of homes and expect everything around them to magically appear.
6. protect the affordable housing we already have
This one is huge.
Canada doesn't only need to build new affordable housing.
We need to stop losing existing affordable housing.
The federal Canada Rental Protection Fund is now a $1.5-billion program designed to help community housing providers acquire and preserve existing affordable rental properties.
Sometimes preserving an affordable apartment building is faster than building another one.
And once an affordable home is lost, replacing it can take years.
7. build housing for different income levels
We need a housing continuum.
That can include:
Emergency shelter — when necessary
↓
Transitional housing
↓
Supportive housing
↓
Deeply affordable housing
↓
Affordable rentals
↓
Market rentals
↓
Co-ops and ownership
These aren't interchangeable.
A person who needs supportive housing shouldn't be expected to solve their situation by finding a $2,500-a-month apartment.
And someone who simply cannot afford Vancouver's rental market shouldn't automatically be treated as though they need a shelter.
8. address homelessness with both housing AND support
Homelessness isn't one single experience.
Some people need affordable housing.
Some need supportive housing.
Some need mental-health or addiction services.
Some need help getting identification, income or employment.
Some primarily need a place they can afford.
And many people need several things at once.
So let's stop pretending that one housing model can solve every situation.
9. make construction cheaper
Canada needs to look carefully at the cost of building.
That means examining:
- development charges
- permitting
- regulations
- construction productivity
- skilled-trades shortages
- materials
- financing
- unnecessary duplication between jurisdictions
The federal government has already put $1.7 billion toward measures intended to increase housing supply and reduce barriers to construction.
Now we need to see what happens with that investment.
10. don't pretend that "build more" is the entire solution
This may be the most important point.
Canada could build hundreds of thousands of homes and still have people sleeping outside if those homes are priced beyond their means.
Supply matters.
But affordability matters too.
And people who are homeless today cannot wait for a housing supply solution that may take years.
That's why I believe Canada needs two tracks at the same time.
BUILD FOR THE FUTURE
→ Build affordable, non-market and rental housing at enormous scale.
→ Use public land.
→ Expand modular and factory-built construction.
→ Speed up approvals.
→ Build infrastructure alongside housing.
→ Preserve existing affordable rentals.
HELP PEOPLE NOW
→ Mobile outreach.
→ Transitional housing.
→ Supportive housing.
→ Rent assistance.
→ Emergency shelter when necessary.
→ Rapid pathways from homelessness into permanent housing.
Build for tomorrow.
Help people today.
We need both.
And here's something else worth remembering:
No single level of government controls the entire housing system.
Ottawa, the provinces, territories and municipalities each control different pieces.
So Canada needs governments working together rather than pointing at one another.
The federal government can provide funding and national programs.
Provinces control important areas such as health, housing programs and much of the regulatory framework.
Municipalities control zoning, permitting and local planning.
The pieces already exist.
The question is whether we can finally put them together.
Because behind every statistic is a person.
A family.
A senior.
A young person.
A worker.
A neighbour.
Someone who simply wants a safe place to call home.
And while governments debate the details...
people are waiting.
So I have a question for all of us:
How would YOU solve Canada's housing crisis?
Because maybe it's time Canadians stopped waiting for someone else to come up with all the answers.
Maybe we should start demanding them.
sources
CMHC — Fall 2026 Housing Supply Report
Canada — Improving Housing Supply Act
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