Canadians waiting for progress on Build Canada Homes are beginning to see results.
Build Canada Homes, launched to create more affordable housing by directly building and financing homes at scale, marked its first 100 days last week with noticeable progress. It’s good news for those who remain anxious about Prime Minister Mark Carney’s ability to pull off such a massive project with a minimum amount of time.
Central to that effort are six federal sites now advancing toward construction, collectively expected to deliver up to 4,000 new homes. Build Canada Homes has issued requests to fast-track development and is prioritizing modular and factory-built construction to shorten build times and control costs. The sites include:
- Arbo (Toronto)
- 540 new homes planned at Arbo Downsview
- At least 40 per cent of units designated as affordable
- Mix of housing aimed at middle-class families
- Up to $283 million in federal infrastructure investment
- Infrastructure expansion expected to catalyze up to 63,000 additional homes in the broader Downsview area
- Naawi-Oodena (Winnipeg)
- 320 new homes planned on an earmarked parcel
- Partnership between Treaty One First Nations and Canada Lands Company
- Community design focused on inclusivity and Indigenous culture
- Village at Griesbach (Edmonton)
- Two parcels designated at the northeast corner of the community
- 355 new homes planned
- Pointe-de-Longueuil (Longueuil)
- Waterfront site along the St. Lawrence River
- 1,055 homes planned
- 40 per cent of units designated as non-market housing
- Heron (Ottawa)
- 18-acre federal site approximately 20 minutes from downtown
- Expected to accommodate about 1,100 homes
- Shannon Park (Dartmouth)
- First phase earmarked for up to 630 mixed-market homes
- Minimum of 40 per cent of units planned below market value
- Targeted at households with moderate and median incomes
New city partnerships beginning to emerge
Beyond direct builds, Build Canada Homes is also leveraging partnerships to make projects financially viable for buyers. In Ottawa, a $400 million agreement with the city aims to accelerate up to 3,000 mixed-income and affordable homes by unlocking land and fast-tracking approvals. The city has committed to reducing or waiving development charges, permit fees, and property taxes.
In Nova Scotia, a $300 million partnership is set to deliver up to 1,430 homes, including early construction at Shannon Park. The project brings provincial, municipal, and federal governments together to speed approvals and prioritize modern construction methods.
Since launching its national submission portal late last year, Build Canada Homes has received proposals from every province and territory, creating a pipeline of projects expected to break ground in 2026.
The Bottom Line
For new home buyers, the immediate relief may be limited. But if the agency can maintain its pace by delivering thousands of homes annually in high-demand areas, it could begin to ease supply shortages that have kept prices out of reach. After years of housing plans that failed to materialize, buyers will be watching closely to see whether this model finally delivers homes, not just headlines.
