Habitat on the Hill
On October 4 and 5, Habitat for Humanity PKR and other representatives from across Canada will be in Ottawa for Habitat on the Hill, meeting with MPs to advocate for vital housing services and funding in local communities and across Canada.
Affordability for All: Abbreviated Policy Priorities
1. Increase housing supply through more assertive municipal affordable housing policies.
Every single municipality in the country should have a plan to provide affordable housing in their community. And a municipality with a plan and policies already in place should be doing everything they can to deliver that plan.
By setting targets, speeding up approvals, modernizing zoning to require more density, and prioritizing the use of available land for affordable housing, municipalities can help increase affordable housing across the country
2. Local and provincial governments must make sure that decisions on new housing are being driven by the requirements of those who need it, not by those who already have it.
At best, NIMBYism divides communities, delays the building of much-needed housing, and causes additional financial stress, especially for non-profit housing providers. At worst, NIMBYism directly threatens the safety and lives of those who are in dire need of a safe and decent place to call home.
Provinces must help depoliticize local housing decisions and work with municipalities to minimize the impact of NIMBYism. CMHC and others should invest in research and public awareness campaigns to show the value of affordability for all.
3. Invest in solutions to improve access to affordable housing at all points of the housing continuum.
Our vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. While we at Habitat see the life-changing power of homeownership every day, urgent needs exist across the housing continuum. And we know that the barriers faced by marginalized and racialized individuals and families are even greater. We must build more, more quickly, and with deeper, permanent affordability so that everyone in Canada has a safe and decent place to call home.
Investing across the housing continuum – from homelessness to affordable homeownership – remain top priorities for all governments. And governments must also prioritize the rapid implementation of a for Indigenous, by Indigenous urban, rural, and Northern housing strategy, and targeted investments to support those who have experienced housing discrimination.
4. Connect affordable housing and infrastructure investments to improve access to services and employment that will lead to stronger communities.
Public infrastructure – like transit, water and wastewater, and community infrastructure – and housing go hand in hand to create well-serviced and complete communities, and ensures land is ready for housing. A better connection between federal infrastructure and housing investments can get needed housing built faster.
Federal public infrastructure funding for provinces and municipalities should be tied closely to increasing the supply of affordable housing.
5. Increase opportunities for those living with low income to access affordable homeownership.
At Habitat Canada, we bring communities together to help families build strength, stability, and independence through affordable homeownership. But homeownership is becoming increasingly difficult to attain for many, especially those living with low income.
Affordable homeownership must remain an option along the housing continuum by ensuring public funding remains available to support those who wish to pursue homeownership.