Government of Canada to Launch First Round of $300 million Housing Supply Challenge

OTTAWA, ON, Aug. 21, 2020 /CNW/ - Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home. To help foster housing supply solutions, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, today announced the Government will launch the first round of the Housing Supply Challenge in October.

The first round, Data Driven, seeks solutions to address gaps in housing data which is often outdated, inconsistent and not openly available, making it more difficult to manage housing supply issues. Participants will create technology or methodology-based solutions to improve data collection, sharing, analysis and integration, thus improving decision-making on housing supply. This first round will disburse up to $25 million to fund a variety of new solutions. The Data round aims to create long-term partnerships between data experts, housing experts, researchers, and communities, which will enable the creation of housing supply solutions.  

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), in collaboration with the Impact and Innovation Unit in the Privy Council Office and Infrastructure Canada, will be running several rounds over the course of the five-year program, each targeting a different barrier to housing supply. Upcoming rounds will focus on various issues, including housing development, northern housing, and the future of housing.

Quotes

"Our goal is to encourage innovative and disruptive thinking within the housing ecosystem. Challenge-based initiatives have proven effective in uncovering new ideas and different points of view in other contexts, and I am confident it will help address housing supply needs."

– The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

"The issues relating to housing supply are complex and cannot be solved by one organization alone. We need the right type of housing, with proximity to public transit, schools and other services. Through the Housing Supply Challenge, we are looking for the best ideas and the right solutions while encouraging collaboration among innovators, researchers, industry and all levels of Government."

– The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

Quick facts

• According to the 2016 Census, approximately 1.7 million Canadian households were in core housing need in 2016. Canada requires more housing supply, but there is no single solution to address this need.
  
  
• To help municipalities grow their housing supply, Budget 2019 provided $300 million in funding over five years to launch a Housing Supply Challenge to address housing supply and unlock new solutions for Canadians searching for an affordable place to call home.
  
  
• The Challenge aims to provide new resources and find solutions to enhance housing supply and provide a platform to share these models with communities across Canada.
  
  
• The Challenge will also help address barriers to housing supply and affordability, showcase new ideas and solutions and cultivate collaboration and partnerships.
  
  
• The Challenge is a component of Impact Canada, a Government of Canada-wide initiative to help departments accelerate the adoption of innovative funding approaches to deliver meaningful results to Canadians.
  
  
• The Challenge also aligns with the National Housing Strategy and CMHC's goal, that by 2030 everyone in Canada has a home they can afford and that meets their needs.
  
  
• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation will launch the Data round in the fall. For more information visit https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/nhs/housing-supply-challenge.
  
  
• The Government of Canada is currently rolling out its National Housing Strategy (NHS), an ambitious 10-year, $55 billion plan that will create 125,000 new housing units and lift 530,000 families out of housing need, as well as repair and renew more than 300,000 housing units and reduce chronic homelessness by 50 percent.

Associated Links

• As Canada's authority on housing, CMHC contributes to the stability of the housing market and financial system, provides support for Canadians in housing need, and offers unbiased housing research and advice to all levels of Canadian government, consumers and the housing industry. For more information, visit our website or follow us on Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
  
  
• To find out more about the National Housing Strategy, visit www.placetocallhome.ca.

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation

Information on this release: Jessica Eritou, Office of the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, P.C., M.P., Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, [email protected]; Audrey-Anne Coulombe, Media Relations, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), 613-748-2573, [email protected]