More homes, better infrastructure and stronger communities in British Columbia

OTTAWA, ON, Jan. 19, 2026 /CNW/ - In 2025, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada and its portfolio partners made generational investments to build the strong communities Canadians need. These investments are building the housing and community infrastructure families rely on.  

These investments resulted in almost 59,000 housing units and billions of dollars of contributions and low-interest loans invested in communities from coast to coast to coast.

The federal government made significant investments in core public infrastructure projects that improve Canadians' quality of life and make our communities more resilient, accessible, and inclusive, while creating jobs and supporting economic growth.

Together, we are building an economy by Canadians, for Canadians. These investments are already supporting our communities. Canadians can see most announced projects in their community on the housing and infrastructure project map. Please note that not all federally funded projects can be mapped. More information is available at the project map page.

British Columbia 2025 Snapshot

• $2.36 billion in housing investments for the construction and renewal of 8,867 homes.
• Up to $39.9 million will be invested over two years through the Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative (UHEI) to support the implementation of Community Encampment Response Plans (CERP) and provide additional support to people experiencing homelessness in Vancouver, Abbotsford, and Kamloops.
• Over $1.5 billion over ten years invested in public transit for Metro Vancouver through the Metro-Region Agreement, supporting the growth and maintenance of transit across the region.
• A 10-year allocation over $860 million of predictable and stable transit funding through Baseline Funding will support long-term goals such as responding to population growth, improving existing services and reaching climate targets.
• $30.1 million to support transit projects that will help Canadians commute or move in their community thanks to more sustainable options, including more than $10.1 million for power equipment upgrades on the SkyTrain across Metro Vancouver, and over $2.5 million for the construction of Mómeqwem multi-use pathways and an active transportation bridge in Abbotsford.
• $408.6 million to support green projects that will make buildings more energy efficient and climate resilient and will allow the communities to stay active and connected, including more than $117 million for conservation upgrades to provide a more reliable and sustainable water supply on the Sunshine Coast.
• $261.3 million invested to expand and upgrade housing enabling water, wastewater, storm water and solid waste infrastructure, including $250 million over five years for phase one of the Iona Island Wastewater Treatment Plant in Richmond to improve the facility to protect the health and safety of residents in Metro Vancouver and surrounding coastal waters.
• Over $326 million in Canada Community Building Fund (CCBF) allocations to help communities fund the infrastructure they need.
• In British Columbia, since its inception, the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) has loaned approximately $2.7 billion to support clean power, public transit, trade and transportation, green, and Indigenous infrastructure, including a $139.5 million loan to support the early phase of the North Coast Transmission line.

This year demonstrated our commitment to investing in communities, which is why Budget 2025 is guided by the conviction that Canada must remain a nation of builders – of infrastructure and innovation, of trust in public institutions, and of hope for generations to come. As we enter 2026, the Government of Canada will continue to work closely with our provincial, territorial, municipal, and Indigenous partners to build connected, liveable communities with the support of Build Canada Homes and investments through the Building Communities Strong Fund. 

Quotes

"The Government of Canada is making generational investments that will build our economy and make our communities stronger. We will empower Canadians by making life more affordable and ensuring every generation can get ahead."

The Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada

Quick Facts

• Launched on September 14, 2025, Build Canada Homes is Canada's new federal agency that will build and finance affordable housing at scale, while catalysing a more innovative housing industry and increasing its productivity
• With an initial investment of $13 billion over five years, Build Canada Homes will transform public-private collaboration and deploy modern methods of construction, as it catalyzes the creation of a more productive Canadian housing industry. It will leverage public lands, offer flexible financial incentives, attract private capital, facilitate large portfolio projects, and support modern manufacturers to build the homes that Canadians need.
• Announced in Budget 2025, the new Build Communities Strong Fund will invest $51 billion over 10 years, and $3 billion per year ongoing, to build and revitalize a wide range of local infrastructure across the country.
• Building on the Government's $32 billion investment in more than 2,500 public transit and active transportation projects across Canada, the permanent Canada Public Transit Fund is building core city infrastructure across the country, helping more people to benefit from living near public transit. This includes $5 billion over ten-years in stable and predictable investments under the Baseline funding stream.

Associated Links

HICC funding programs
https://housing-infrastructure.canada.ca/prog/index-eng.html 

CMHC funding programs
https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/professionals/project-funding-and-mortgage-financing/funding-programs 

Build Canada Homes
https://housing-infrastructure.canada.ca/bch-mc/index-eng.html 

Canada's National Housing Strategy
https://housing-infrastructure.canada.ca/housing-logement/ptch-csd/index-eng.html 

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SOURCE Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

Contacts: For more information (media only), please contact: Renée LeBlanc Proctor, Senior Communications Advisor and Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada, [email protected]; Media Relations, Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]; Media Relations, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, [email protected]