Non-profit housing in Canada has seen both remarkable policies and tricky conditions over the past few decades. Funding has fluctuated, while costs to build and land prices have skyrocketed. There’s no denying that the sector is facing headwinds today that will make us look back on the struggle to get projects off the ground. As we head into 2025, there are several key factors to consider that will make penciling put projects much harder, some of which are already in play, others on the horizon.
- For the past 8 years the housing sector has been relying on programs through the National Housing Strategy which are due to sunset in the late 2020s and have undergone significant changes that increase costs and reduce building efficiency.
- The upcoming election will delay all funding commitments once the writ drops, increasing time-related costs during development and construction.
- The official opposition has stated they will cut the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) if elected. Ottawa is an outlier in how much of their funding they committed to build new affordable and supportive housing, hundreds of non-market housing units in the city are currently slated for construction using HAF dollars.
- A trade war with the United States would increase our cost to build with many technologies.
- An increasingly unstable geopolitical climate is expected to lower the Canadian dollar.
Design the most Canadian building you can, and have optimism.
In any Team Canada strategy, construction will be key to driving our economy forward, and affordable housing will be more critical than ever. While not announced now, it wouldn’t be surprising to see requirements for more Canadian manufactured products in federally funded projects.
In working with your Construction Manager and design professionals, projects can be value engineered based on the availability and cost of materials. Canada’s manufacturing sector has dozens of brilliant building technologies that can be integrated to mitigate the impact of tariffs and the value of our dollar. Investigating those substitutions now may pay dividends if the trade relationship with the United States deteriorates further.
As a sector we didn’t hold back in the 90s until we absolutely had to, and the 2020s shouldn’t be any different. As people across the country unite around prioritizing Canada, affordability will continue to be a key issue. Even if the odds look like they’re getting tougher, today is the best shot we’ve got to build the housing we need for tomorrow. Development- ready organizations will drive housing solutions and support the Canadian economy in this critical time – so let’s get to work.