Following the tabling in Parliament of the Auditor General of Canada's report on Housing Canadian Armed Forces Members, the Minister of National Defence, the Honourable David McGuinty, issued the following statement:
"We welcome the Auditor General's report and acknowledge its important findings about the challenges facing military housing. The Department of National Defence accepts these recommendations and is fully committed to making real, measurable improvements for our members and their families.
"We are already taking significant steps to improve both the condition and availability of military housing. Budget 2024 and Our North, Strong and Free defence policy have together committed $1.4 billion over 20 years toward a comprehensive Canadian Armed Forces Housing Strategy. This builds on the $490 million over 10 years announced in 2021. Together, this funding supports the construction of up to 1,400 new residential housing units and the renovation of approximately 2,500 existing units on bases and wings across the country. These investments are laying the groundwork for a more agile and responsive housing program that aligns with Canada's broader defence and housing priorities.
"Construction projects are well underway under the first phase of the Residential Portfolio Capital Investment Plan including:
- The building of 36 apartment units in six net-zero-emissions ready apartment buildings in Edmonton, set to be ready in spring 2026-the first of their kind in the Government of Canada;
- The completion of two new six-unit buildings in Kingston expected by late 2026, with designs underway for an additional 48 units;
- The start of construction of 60 new residential housing units in Valcartier;
- The construction of 48 residential housing units in Borden;
- The design phase for 48 residential housing units in Halifax; 80 in Petawawa; 72 in Borden and 40 in Gagetown; and
- The reservation of 20 completed residential housing units in Trenton, along with the design of 92 residential housing units there.
"Following the commitment of over 800 Residential Housing Units through the Residential Portfolio Capital Investment Plan, the Canadian Forces Housing Agency has developed a Residential Housing Response Plan that reflects operational needs and anticipated growth, with a reassessment of requirements to be completed by the end of this month. This plan identifies shortfalls, updates cost estimates, and guides new housing investments based on Canadian Armed Forces growth and regional distribution.
"We recently acquired a 37-unit apartment building in Esquimalt, marking an innovative and collaborative effort that reduced a typical processing time of one to two years to just five weeks, resulting in faster access to housing for Canadian Armed Forces members.
"A national compliance and oversight framework for residential housing allocation is under development and will be fully implemented by March 2027. This framework will promote fair prioritization of housing applications, maintain accurate data, and increase transparency and accountability in allocation decisions.
"We will continue to listen carefully and monitor how policy changes impact all members, to ensure our housing program remains fair, relevant and supportive of retention and quality of life.
"We deeply recognize the sacrifices made every day by our military members and their families. The Government of Canada is steadfast in its commitment to ensuring that housing is never a barrier to serving with pride and dedication. We are acting with urgency and accountability to deliver better homes and living conditions, now and into the future."
Associated Link
2025 Reports of the Auditor General of Canada
