Good morning, Mr. Chair and honourable members of the committee.
Thank you for the invitation to speak today on Bill C-20, an act respecting the establishment of Build Canada Homes. I'm honoured to be speaking alongside highly respected housing advocates, both those here now and those on the previous panel.
My name is Tony Irwin. I'm the president and CEO of Rental Housing Canada, which is the leading voice of Canada's private market housing sector. Our members build, own and manage purpose-built rentals across the country—the very homes that millions of Canadians call “home”.
It is fair to say that the question before us is no longer whether we need more homes, but how we deliver more diverse housing. That's why Rental Housing Canada sees the creation of Build Canada Homes as a significant opportunity for the federal government to lead, particularly in the delivery of affordable and non-market housing.
There is a clear and urgent need for deeply affordable, community-led housing. These projects often struggle to find traditional financing. Build Canada Homes has the potential to bridge that gap and move more projects from concept to construction, particularly if it operates with a clear and focused mandate as a single, dedicated window for the non-market housing sector.
Rental Housing Canada members have had encouraging conversations with Build Canada Homes regarding its priorities and investment policy framework with the goal of identifying and advancing projects that are ready to build, utilize modern construction methods, meet affordability and sustainability targets, and are scalable.
Strong policy design must be matched with effective implementation. In that regard, I'm confident in the leadership of Ana Bailão. She's been a long-time friend of the housing sector and has a deep, practical understanding of what it takes to get homes built.
There are several announced elements that we find especially encouraging. Incorporating the Canada lands bank into Build Canada Homes will help ensure that underused federal land can be brought forward more quickly. This approach can reduce barriers and support the delivery of more affordable homes.
We are already seeing how partnerships can accelerate progress. The recent collaboration here in Ottawa between the city and the federal government is a strong example. With federal land contributions and municipal fee relief, more project capital can go directly into construction, which helps get homes built sooner.
While Build Canada Homes can play a leading role on the affordability side, the government is also taking steps to support the private sector through its recent agreement with Ontario on development charges. We see this as a positive development that reinforces the importance of partnership.
The private sector must continue to be enabled to do what it does best, which is deliver market rental housing at scale. To support this, the role of CMHC should be clarified and better aligned to focus on enabling private rental supply, while Build Canada Homes focuses on social and community housing. This includes modernizing existing CMHC programs, particularly MLI select, so that they are designed to support financial viability and timely delivery. A more responsive and commercially focused CMHC can play a critical role in accelerating new supply.
Ultimately, all parts of the housing continuum need the right tools to succeed. Rental Housing Canada is ready to be a partner in this work. This is not a choice between public or private approaches. Both are essential. With Build Canada Homes leading on affordable housing and a strengthened CMHC supporting the private sector, we can create a more coordinated system that delivers the scale of housing Canadians need.
Thank you.