Backgrounder: Canada and British Columbia secure a new partnership to build more homes

The Government of Canada, through Build Canada Homes (BCH), and with the Province of British Columbia through the British Columbia Housing Management Commission (BC Housing) have agreed in principle to a phased, long‑term partnership to accelerate the delivery of new affordable, supportive, and transitional homes across the province.

Initial collaboration focuses on delivering 1,100 new homes, including 700 supportive and transitional homes to help fight and avoid homelessness, and 400 affordable rental homes delivered through BC Housing’s Digitally Accelerated Standardized Housing (DASH) program.

These projects include some of British Columbia’s most construction‑ready housing initiatives, with many supportive and transitional homes positioned to begin construction within  the next 12 months, with DASH homes advancing within 12 to 18 months. By using modern methods of construction, the build time of the affordable housing units advanced through DASH will be reduced as compared to traditional fully on-site builds.

This partnership reflects both governments’ shared commitment to:

• increasing the supply of housing options for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness,
• strengthening the supportive housing continuum, and
• expanding the use of innovative construction technologies to deliver high‑quality affordable homes more efficiently.

This also lays the groundwork for future phases of collaboration, as both governments continue working together toward the potential delivery of thousands of homes province‑wide.

Key partnership highlights

• Delivery of 1,100 new homes, including 700 supportive and transitional units and 400 affordable rental homes delivered through DASH using standardized, prefabricated, Canadian‑made building systems.
• $170 million federal investment through Build Canada Homes, complementing up to $640 million in provincial capital and operating funding to accelerate delivery.
• Approximately $27 million per year in provincial operating funding for at least ten years, representing a commitment of $270 million in operating funding, to support services and operations for supportive and transitional housing.
• Up to $170 million in provincial capital through BC Housing’s DASH‑to‑Modern‑Methods portfolio supporting delivery of the 400 DASH homes within the 1,100‑unit commitment.
• Joint focus on public land optimization, streamlined approvals, and integrated planning to support efficient delivery in current and future phases.
• BCH funding remains contingent on projects meeting investment requirements and receiving final federal approvals.

Accelerating delivery through innovation

• Units will be affordable in perpetuity, with provincial and project partners ensuring long-term affordability.
• Emphasis on MMC to increase productivity and reduce construction timelines.
• Incorporating Canadian-made materials invests in Canadian industry and drives business to domestic supply chains.

Build Canada Homes

• Build Canada Homes is Canada’s new federal agency that will build and finance affordable housing at scale, while catalyzing a more productive homebuilding industry.  
• By combining access to federal lands, development expertise and flexible financial tools under one roof, Build Canada Homes will make it simpler and faster to get big projects off the ground.   
• Build Canada Homes will prioritize non-market and non-profit-led affordable housing, supporting a mix of income needs as part of a national effort to double housing construction, restore affordability, and reduce homelessness.  
• As part of the federal government’s response to Canada’s housing crisis, Canada Lands Company is transferring under the newly launched Build Canada Homes, marking a strategic shift in how federal lands and development expertise are mobilized to accelerate affordable housing delivery across the country.  
• With an initial investment of $13 billion over five years, Build Canada Homes is a cornerstone of the federal government’s response to Canada’s housing crisis. The agency prioritizes non-market and community housing, modern methods of construction, and partnerships that help double the pace of housing construction, restore housing affordability, and reduce homelessness.