A federal housing watchdog is warning that Canada is building affordable housing so slowly it could take more than 1,000 years to eliminate homelessness and restore affordability for the country's poorest residents.In her annual report to Parliament, Federal Housing Advocate Marie-Josée Houle said Canada faces a shortfall of 4.4 million affordable homes and needs a dramatic increase in public, non-profit and co-operative housing construction to address the crisis.“While Canada has committed to the right to adequate housing, the current pace of building deeply affordable homes is so slow it would take over 1,000 years to eliminate homelessness and core housing need at present rates,” Houle wrote in her report, Investing In Human Rights.Blacklock's Reporter said the report found that non-market housing has accounted for just 3% of new housing construction since the launch of the federal National Housing Strategy in 2017, while chronic homelessness has increased by 22%.Houle recommended that 20% of all new housing be dedicated to public, non-profit or co-operative housing.“It is often during times of crisis that human rights are at risk of regression,” she wrote. “That is why now is a critical moment for Canada to respect and protect the right to housing.”The federal government legally recognized a right to adequate housing through the National Housing Strategy Act, passed in 2019. Houle noted the current strategy is scheduled to expire in 2028, providing an opportunity for Ottawa to revise its approach.“As the government looks towards the strategy’s renewal, now is an opportunity to strengthen the next iteration by prioritizing disadvantaged groups, implementing measurable targets and committing to human rights,” she wrote.The advocate defines housing affordability as spending no more than 30% of gross household income on shelter. However, a 2025 Department of Housing transition memo found the average Canadian household spends 52% of its income on housing costs.Housing Minister Gregor Robertson defended the government's record during Question Period on Tuesday, arguing affordability trends are improving.“Get with the program,” Robertson told MPs.“We are seeing rents come down across Canada right now. We are seeing 20 straight months of rents declining, which is a positive trend. We are spending on the affordable housing that Canada needs to make sure that Canadians can afford housing.”.Concerns over affordability timelines are not new. In 2023, then-Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation chief economist Bob Dugan told a Senate committee it could require approximately $1 trillion in spending to restore housing affordability nationwide.“It is a staggering sum of money,” Dugan said at the time.A separate 2025 CMHC report estimated that restoring housing affordability for Canadians, including middle-class families, could take up to 30 years even under favourable conditions.“All in all, from design of a project to filtering that makes housing attainable, it takes 25 to 30 years before new housing supply is delivered and its full impact on lower rents or prices is felt,” the report stated.The report concluded that timeline is “far too long” for Canadians struggling to find affordable housing amid the ongoing housing crisis.
