Yes.
Canada's housing plan showed the federal government's willingness to work with other levels of government. The municipalities and provinces can also play a role in using their own surplus public lands to build social housing. However, the federal government can and must take the lead when it comes to its own lands.
There are already a few examples of federal public lands in Montreal and Longueuil, including a huge piece of land in Montreal called Bridge‑Bonaventure owned in part by the Canada Lands Company. The community is heavily involved and the federal government has a clear plan that could be a game‑changer for the type of development that will take place.
In our opinion, given the current scarcity and high cost of land resources, the federal government's use of land could provide a major boost in a number of areas.