Prime Minister Mark Carney made an appearance at a morning event hosted by Ottawa’s mayor, unveiling key details about the federal housing plan’s impact on Ottawa. The Liberals introduced the Build Canada Homes agency in September, committing a $13 billion fund to support affordable housing projects nationwide. One of the initial locations identified for development is a deserted federal government campus on Heron Road.
During the event at Ottawa’s Rogers Centre on Monday, Carney disclosed that the city and federal government will jointly invest $400 million to construct up to 3,000 new residential units in buildings designated as either partially or fully affordable. The city plans to reduce fees and property taxes for developments on federal lands, while giving priority to Canadian building materials.
According to a report from the parliamentary budget officer released in August, Canada needs to build 690,000 new housing units by 2035 to address the growing housing demands. The Build Canada Homes initiative is projected to deliver 26,000 of these units.
In addition to housing updates, Carney announced a $1.2 million federal investment in a substance abuse pilot project, a collaborative effort with the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction aimed at combating substance abuse and crime while fostering skill development. The initiative also aims to redirect individuals toward safe cultural and recreational activities and enhance responses to dangerous drugs.
Furthermore, Canada’s bid to host the 2028 La Francophonie summit in Ottawa-Gatineau for the organization’s approximately 90 member states and observers was revealed. The last time Canada hosted the summit was in 2008.
Simultaneously, the city and province are set to construct 33 modular townhomes with three to four bedrooms each on Beechcliffe Street in the Woodroffe Avenue and Knoxdale Road area. The Ottawa government is allocating $3 million for the project and providing the land, with an additional $3.4 million contribution from the Ontario government and $3 million from the Building Faster Fund. The global charity Habitat for Humanity will also participate in this housing project.
