Photo: Roberta Franchuk, Pembina Institute
VANCOUVER — BETSY AGAR, Director of the Buildings program made the following statement in response to the Task Force for Housing and Climate’s recent release of the Blueprint for More and Better Housing:
“The Pembina Institute welcomes the Task Force for Housing and Climate’s recent report Blueprint for More and Better Housing. Through the report, the task force has identified critical measures necessary for addressing Canada’s interconnected crises of housing, affordability, and climate and reiterate the need for more integrated and collaborative policy action from all levels of government.
“The Task Force for Housing and Climate is a unique initiative bringing together experts and key actors across the housing, finance, and insurance industry, as well as Indigenous leaders and civil society. This level of diverse input and engagement offers invaluable insight into the varied methods through which the housing, affordability, and climate crisis can be addressed through concerted effort and a commitment to partnership and collaboration.
“The Task Force calls for all levels of government to commit to enabling 5.8 million high performance homes to be built by 2030, including 2.3 million non- and below-market housing units. As part of this call, the report outlines methods for reaching these ambitious targets through increased density to fully utilize existing infrastructure and better building codes and investment in innovation (such as factory-built housing). Taken together, the varied recommendations reinforce both the critical need for shared action and the opportunities present to advance necessary policy at the municipal, provincial, and federal level.
“Findings from Pembina’s Getting Canada's Homes in Order report support the outcomes of this unique work. Notably, that governments must work together to implement regulations that ensure all Canadians have access to housing that is safe, healthy, climate-resilient, and affordable to heat and cool. The recommendations found in the Blueprint for More and Better Housing likewise endorse these critical approaches to housing development and offer a clear, inclusive, and realistic path forward for all governments to meet increasingly pressing needs for swift and focused action.”
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Contact
Bhan Gatkuoth
Senior Communications Lead, Pembina Institute
587-742-0818
Background
Report: Getting Canada’s homes in order