The House of Commons human resources committee met to study the provisions of Bill C-15, the budget implementation act, that relate to the new federal housing agency Build Canada Homes. Appearing were Ana Bailão, Chief Executive Officer of Build Canada Homes; Jean Lamirande, Senior Vice President, Policy and Operations at Build Canada Homes; and Janet Goulding, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Housing and Homelessness Branch, Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.
Ana Bailão testified that Build Canada Homes is a lean, purpose-built agency leveraging public lands, flexible financial tools and modern construction methods to accelerate housing supply, particularly non-market and affordable housing. She said the agency has already advanced six federal land projects toward construction, secured agreements for thousands of homes in Ottawa, Nova Scotia and Nunavut, and received hundreds of proposals from across the country. Bailão asked that Bill C-15 be passed to unlock $11.5 billion from the consolidated revenue fund and $1.5 billion to capitalize Canada Lands Company, arguing the funding is needed to get shovels in the ground in 2026 and that without it projects cannot proceed.
Jean Lamirande emphasized that Build Canada Homes is not a program but a partnership agency with flexible tools including equity participation and loan guarantees, and that it collaborates with provinces rather than imposing conditions. He noted that the agency works with the Société d'habitation du Québec to align with provincial priorities and that it aims to be a catalyst for modern construction methods by creating a stable pipeline of demand. Lamirande disagreed with the suggestion that funds should simply be transferred to Quebec, arguing that the agency’s flexible financial tools would not be available under a simple transfer model.
Janet Goulding addressed questions about homelessness funding, explaining that the two-year encampment program was intended for capital investments in transitional and supportive housing, but that Quebec chose to use the funds for services instead. She did not make specific recommendations or asks, and did not directly disagree with other witnesses, but provided context on federal homelessness programming.
During questioning, Conservative members pressed Bailão on the agency’s results, noting that only nine homes are move-in ready and that the six federal sites had been in development for years under Canada Lands Company. Bailão countered that Build Canada Homes brings together land and financing in a new way, and that partnerships with municipalities are speeding approvals. Liberal members praised the agency’s early work and stressed the need to pass Bill C-15 to unlock funding, while Bloc Québécois members raised concerns about rural communities, seniors’ housing and the definition of affordability, and asked whether existing co-op programs would be abandoned. Bailão replied that the agency uses an income-based definition of affordability and is working collaboratively with CMHC to ensure a smooth transition for all programs.
The meeting opened with the election of Andréanne Larouche as second vice-chair of the committee, which was carried without debate.
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