The affordable housing crisis in Canada has reached a tipping point. While governments acknowledge the issue, meaningful action remains slow and fragmented. If this were truly treated as a national emergency, the response would match the scale of the crisis. Instead of relying on slow-moving private sector partnerships, the federal government has the land, the labour, and the financial resources to build housing on an unprecedented scale. The solution? Deploy the Canadian military to build affordable housing on federally owned land—treating the housing crisis with the urgency of a wartime effort.
Why Use the Military?
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) are not just a defense force; they also possess engineering, logistics, and construction expertise that can be mobilized for national infrastructure projects. In times of war or disaster, military forces have historically been used to build roads, bridges, and housing. Given the scope of the affordability crisis, why shouldn’t Canada utilize its military resources to provide emergency housing for those in need?
How Would This Work?
If the federal government declared affordable housing a national emergency, it could immediately mobilize the military’s engineering and construction divisions. The plan would involve:
- Building on Federally Owned Land
- The federal government owns vast amounts of land across the country, including in major urban centers.
- By retaining ownership of the land and the housing built on it, the government can ensure affordability in perpetuity rather than handing control to private developers.
- Federal land use can bypass excessive developmental fees that add to private-sector housing costs.
- Military-Run Prefabrication Factories
- The CAF could establish dedicated prefab housing factories to mass-produce modular homes.
- Prefab units can be built in a controlled environment, allowing for faster, more efficient construction and lower costs.
- These homes could be installed on-site within days, rapidly scaling up affordable housing supply.
- Non-Profit Approach to Housing Development
- Since the military is not a for-profit developer, there would be no need for speculative price inflation.
- The units would be built as public housing or rent-geared-to-income (RGI) units, ensuring they remain affordable long-term.
- Rents could be set at cost-recovery rates, keeping housing truly affordable rather than market-driven.
- Military-Led Construction of Supportive and Homeless Housing
- Beyond affordable housing for low- and middle-income Canadians, the military could rapidly construct supportive housing units for those experiencing homelessness.
- This approach could replace homeless encampments with tiny home communities, providing dignity and stability to residents.
The Benefits of a Military-Led Housing Initiative
✅ Speed – The military is trained for rapid deployment and can build at a pace that private developers cannot match.
✅ Cost Savings – Without private sector profit margins, development costs would be dramatically lower.
✅ Scalability – Prefabrication factories would allow for thousands of homes to be built at once.
✅ Permanent Affordability – Because the government retains land ownership, there is no risk of units being flipped into market-rate housing.
✅ Workforce Training – Military-led construction projects could also train new workers in skilled trades, helping address labour shortages in the housing sector.
Challenges and Considerations
❌ Political Resistance – This would require a shift in thinking from reliance on private developers to direct government intervention.
❌ Military Mission Scope – While the military has the capacity to build housing, they would need policy direction to prioritize this mission.
❌ Infrastructure Needs – Large-scale development on federal land would require investments in water, electricity, and transit.
Call to Action: Treat Housing Like a National Crisis
If the Canadian government truly believes affordable housing is a crisis, it must act accordingly. In emergencies, governments do not wait for the private sector—they mobilize their own resources. Canada has the land. It has the financial ability. And through the military, it has the labour and logistical power to launch a historic national housing initiative.
If wartime efforts can be mobilized to build bases, refugee housing, and disaster relief infrastructure, why not use that same approach to solve the affordability crisis? The answer is not more slow-moving tax credits or relying on private-sector solutions. The answer is direct action.
Stay tuned for next week’s feature: Youth Homelessness in the GTA: The Urgent Need for Supportive Housing
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