The Canadian Housing and Renewal Association
The Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA) is the national voice for the social, affordable, and non-profit housing sector in Canada. Our members collectively house, shelter, and support hundreds of thousands of Canadians. The Blueprint for Housing is a comprehensive policy document created in consultation with our members and other leaders in the housing and homelessness sector.
The catalyst for creating the Blueprint was a sector-wide realization: that existing housing policies and programs are not doing enough to ensure that all who live in Canada have homes that are affordable and meet their needs. With growing momentum behind addressing housing shortfalls, including among non-traditional actors, a blueprint for a new generation of policies and programs that will create affordable housing more effectively and end chronic homelessness is needed.
That said, progress on Canada’s housing issues does not come without challenges. The affordable housing sector has been grappling with the difficulties associated with the expiry of operating agreements and the ongoing prevalence of NIMBYism. Housing supply is lagging far behind demand, the current stock of affordable housing is aging, and governments are facing unprecedented fiscal constraints. To prosper, the affordable housing sector needs more than the status quo. We need new, creative solutions to address the country’s housing problems and ensure all who live in Canada have access to safe, appropriate, affordable housing.
The role of the federal government as it relates to housing has ebbed and flowed throughout Canada’s history. Effectively addressing Canada’s current housing issues requires strong federal leadership through new and enhanced programs and a commitment to championing housing action with other levels of government, organizations, and the private sector. Fulfilling the goals of the Blueprint also requires working in collaboration with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), provinces, territories, municipalities, Indigenous organizations, and other partners, including the private sector, to find common ground to address our shared vision.
Also Read: Solutions to Canada’s Housing Crisis