Public lands for homes
More information
The federal government has an ambitious whole-of-government approach to addressing the housing crisis.
Turning public lands into housing
We are continually looking for ways to optimize our real estate portfolio. We are leading a comprehensive review of our fixed asset portfolio. We are also leading a Canada-wide effort, and transforming our approach to federally owned land, by streamlining the process of converting federal properties into housing. This way, every Canadian has a safe and affordable place to call home. We have identified properties we no longer need for delivering programs and services. Many of these properties could be used for housing and other community needs.
Building homes
We will work with Indigenous partners, other levels of government, homebuilders and housing providers to build homes on every possible site across the public portfolio. We will use all tools available to convert public lands to housing. This includes:
- leasing
- disposal
- acquiring other lands to use for housing
Achieving results
To achieve this, we intend to:
- review our entire portfolio to rapidly identify sites where new homes can be built
- encourage departments and agencies to offer up parcels of land for potential development
- create a Canada Public Land Bank and geospatial mapping tool
- accelerate administrative timelines to make public lands available for affordable housing faster
Active building conversions
We are building on our existing efforts to turn public lands into housing. Some recent conversions include:
- former federal staff housing in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, which is being converted into affordable homes for Indigenous Peoples, women with children and those who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness
- former property in Belleville, Ontario, which is being converted into new homes for Indigenous Peoples, particularly women and children fleeing violence