Bill C-20

Build Canada Homes Act

An Act respecting the establishment of Build Canada Homes

Sponsor

Status

This bill has received Royal Assent and is, or will soon become, law.

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament has also written a full legislative summary of the bill.

This enactment establishes Build Canada Homes as a Crown corporation. The purpose of Build Canada Homes is to promote, support and develop the supply of affordable housing in Canada and to promote innovative and efficient building techniques in the housing construction sector in Canada. The enactment, among other things,
(a) sets out the powers of Build Canada Homes and its governance framework;
(b) authorizes the Minister of Finance to make payments out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund to fund the operations and activities of Build Canada Homes; and
(c) provides that the Governor in Council may transfer to Build Canada Homes the property, rights, interests and obligations held by any Crown corporation or subsidiary of a Crown corporation and may issue directives for measures to be taken in relation to the reorganization of Canada Lands Company Limited or any of its subsidiaries.
It also includes transitional provisions, makes a consequential amendment to the Financial Administration Act and contains coordinating amendments.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Bill numbers are reused for different bills each new session. Perhaps you were looking for one of these other C-20s:

C-20 (2022) Law Public Complaints and Review Commission Act

C-20 (2021) An Act to amend the Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador Additional Fiscal Equalization Offset Payments Act

C-20 (2020) Law An Act respecting further COVID-19 measures

C-20 (2016) Law Appropriation Act No. 3, 2016-17

Votes

June 10, 2026 Passed 3rd reading and adoption of Bill C-20, An Act respecting the establishment of Build Canada Homes

June 9, 2026 Passed Time allocation for Bill C-20, An Act respecting the establishment of Build Canada Homes

Debate Summary

This is a computer-generated summary of the speeches below. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.

Bill C-20 proposes establishing "Build Canada Homes" as a new federal Crown corporation. Its mandate is to increase the national supply of affordable housing by leveraging public lands, providing flexible financing, and promoting modern, efficient construction methods across Canada.

Liberal

Establish a housing Crown corporation: Establishing Build Canada Homes as a Crown corporation provides the operational independence, financial flexibility, and authority needed to deliver affordable housing at scale and accelerate construction timelines through the conversion of federal lands.
Support Canadian industrial growth: The party prioritizes a 'Buy Canadian' policy and modern construction methods like prefabrication and mass timber to strengthen domestic supply chains, support the lumber and steel sectors, and create year-round jobs.
Foster multi-level partnerships: By coordinating with provinces, municipalities, and Indigenous communities, the government aims to streamline approvals, leverage public lands, and ensure that new developments include essential wraparound health and social supports.
Address market gaps: The corporation focuses on non-market, deeply affordable, and cooperative housing that the private sector fails to provide, ensuring vulnerable populations and young Canadians have access to stable, attainable homes.

Conservative

Oppose redundant housing bureaucracy: The Conservatives reject Bill C-20, arguing it creates a fourth federal housing agency that adds administrative layers and delay rather than removing the regulatory barriers, such as restrictive zoning and slow permitting, that prevent construction.
Insignificant impact on supply: Members cite Parliamentary Budget Officer data showing the new Crown corporation would produce only 5,000 homes annually—one percent of the government's stated goal—failing to meaningfully address the national housing supply crisis.
Empower builders over bureaucrats: The party contends that homes are built by tradespeople and builders rather than government boards. They advocate for reduced government interference, lower taxes, and the elimination of red tape to allow the private sector to function.
Propose market-driven alternatives: Instead of expanded bureaucracy, the party proposes cutting the GST on new homes under $1.3 million, halving development charges, and tying federal infrastructure funding to mandatory 15 percent annual increases in municipal housing completions.

Bloc

Support for housing with jurisdictional caveats: The Bloc supports the goal of building affordable housing but prefers direct transfers to provinces. They conditionally support the bill because of a memorandum of understanding intended to respect Quebec’s jurisdiction over housing.
Lack of legislative safeguards: Members criticize the bill for failing to include specific requirements for social housing, environmental standards, or clear affordability definitions in the text, leaving important policies to the government’s discretion without accountability.
Concerns over Crown corporation powers: The party is concerned that granting Build Canada Homes "agent of the Crown" status allows it to bypass municipal taxes, ignore local land-use bylaws, and expropriate land without provincial or local oversight.
Integration with the forestry industry: The Bloc emphasizes that for a national housing strategy to succeed, the federal government must simultaneously support the struggling forestry sector to ensure a steady supply of local building materials.

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Build Canada Homes ActGovernment Orders

March 13th, 2026 / 1:25 p.m.

Ajax Ontario

Liberal

Jennifer McKelvie LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure

Mr. Speaker, I was just wondering if the member maybe could share the importance of partnerships and building partnerships with municipalities, with provinces, with the non-profit sector and with indigenous communities, and comment on the fact that this really is a whole-of-government approach. We need all hands on deck if we want to build the housing Canadians need right now. In particular, I would like to point out that the Federation of Canadian Municipalities is very happy with this Build Canada Homes announcement. In fact, it has said:

[It] welcomes the federal government’s Build Canada Homes...initiative as a strong signal of leadership on the housing crisis. This announcement shows a clear commitment to working in partnership with municipalities—as well as provinces and territories, Indigenous governments, housing providers....

How is the member building partnerships in his community, and how can we all build together?

Build Canada Homes ActGovernment Orders

March 13th, 2026 / 1:25 p.m.

Conservative

Jeff Kibble Conservative Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC

Mr. Speaker, indeed, we do need to partner with municipalities, but part of that is getting out of the way and removing the extra layers of bureaucracy. I have spoken to builders and groups across south Vancouver Island, and they have said that they have had stuff cancelled and that they cannot afford to do these things, so they need help. As far as the Federation of Canadian Municipalities goes, they are signalling approval, but when they start looking at the realities I have pointed out, such as the cancelled projects and the promises of 500,000 homes that simply are not being built, the reality will quickly sink in that this plan is not working and we need to get out of the way and let our builders build.

Build Canada Homes ActGovernment Orders

March 13th, 2026 / 1:25 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. There have been discussions among the parties, and I suspect that if you were to canvass the House, you would find unanimous consent to put the question on Bill C-20 at second reading.

Build Canada Homes ActGovernment Orders

March 13th, 2026 / 1:25 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker Tom Kmiec

Is it agreed?

Build Canada Homes ActGovernment Orders

March 13th, 2026 / 1:25 p.m.

Some hon. member

Agreed.

Build Canada Homes ActGovernment Orders

March 13th, 2026 / 1:25 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker Tom Kmiec

The question is on the motion.

If a member participating in person wishes that the motion be carried or carried on division, or if a member of a recognized party participating in person wishes to request a recorded division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair.

Build Canada Homes ActGovernment Orders

March 13th, 2026 / 1:25 p.m.

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux Liberal Winnipeg North, MB

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that it pass on division.

Build Canada Homes ActGovernment Orders

March 13th, 2026 / 1:25 p.m.

The Deputy Speaker Tom Kmiec

I declare the motion carried on division. Accordingly, the bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

(Motion agreed to, bill read the second time and referred to a committee)