The federal government has added 12 more properties to the Canada Public Land Bank in a bid to tackle Canada’s chronic housing shortage.

The initiative, part of the government’s plan to build four million homes under the Canada Housing Plan, aims to boost affordable housing supply by leveraging public lands for development. The Canadian housing sector is widely considered to be in crisis due to the severe shortage of supply and developers’ struggles to keep up with the high demand.

The Canada Public Land Bank’s properties include former military bases, Canada Post sites and federal office buildings located across Canada.

The newly added properties include the former Laval Penitentiary, a site long targeted for redevelopment by local officials and community groups. This addition, along with other sites across the country, is set to support the creation of nearly 3,900 new housing units for middle-class Canadians, said the federal government in a news release.

Minister of Public Services and Procurement Jean-Yves Duclos, joined by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, announced the additions, emphasizing the urgency of addressing Canada’s housing challenges.

“Safe, accessible and affordable housing options are out of reach for far too many Canadians,” said Duclos. “Since the launch of the Canada Public Land Bank in August 2024, 83 properties have been identified for potential housing development, paving the way to build affordable housing across the country at a pace and scale not seen in generations.”

The newly added properties span nine provinces and two territories, with locations including:

• Calgary: Three sites in the Currie neighbourhood, located in the area of a former military base that closed decades ago;
• Edmundston, N.B.,: 22 Emerson Street;
• Laval, Quebec: Former Laval Penitentiary and a vacant parcel near Chomedey Boulevard; and,
• Whitehorse, Yukon: 419-421 Range Road

Other sites include locations in Dartmouth, N.S.; Bracebridge, Ont.; London, Ont.; and Ottawa.

Freeland underscored the importance of this initiative as part of a broader strategy to improve housing accessibility.

“We are delivering on the most ambitious housing plan in Canadian history, to build four million homes and make the housing market fairer for first-time buyers and renters alike,” said Freeland. “Building more student housing will relieve rental demand for students, and confronting the financialization of housing will ensure homes are for Canadians, not a speculative asset class for investors.”

By utilizing public lands, the government aims to reduce one of the largest barriers to housing development: The cost of land. Instead of selling the sites, the government will lease them in most cases to housing investors and developers on a long-term basis. Many of the projects are expected to be multi-residential developments.

“By building on public lands, we can make it easier to build, and by leasing those same properties, we can make sure the homes built stay affordable for the long term,” said Housing Minister Sean Fraser.”

The Canada Public Land Bank, introduced earlier this year, is central to the government’s accelerated real property disposal strategy. With the 83 properties now identified, the initiative is expanding rapidly to meet the growing demand for affordable housing across the country.

Further announcements on new Canada Public Land Bank properties and development plans are expected in the coming months.

Homebuilders have welcomed the program

Pictured: Former Laval Penitentiary in Laval, Que.

Photo: Memento, Heritage Montreal