The Canadian government has added six federal properties to the Canada Public Land Bank, with the goal of transitioning the properties into affordable housing.
According to a government statement, the properties have the potential to create approximately 1,770 units of housing for middle-class Canadians. The properties include two sites in Nova Scotia, two in Ontario and one each in Quebec and the Northwest Territories.
“Safe, accessible and affordable housing options are out of reach for far too many Canadians,” said Jean-Yves Duclos, minister of public services and procurement and Quebec Lieutenant. “Since the launch of the Canada Public Land Bank in August 2024, I’m pleased to say that the number of properties available across the country continues to grow. We have now identified 90 federal properties for potential housing development, paving the way to build affordable housing across the country at a pace and scale not seen in generations.”
Separately, a new analysis by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) determined that the lack of housing affordability in many cities is creating difficulty for Canadians eager to move in search of employment. The analysis, authored by CMHC Deputy Chief Economist Aled ab Iorwerth, examines how high housing costs discourage Canadians from moving to cities where they would like to work and burdens the productivity of Canada’s economy – especially Toronto and Vancouver, where housing prices are the highest in Canada.