TORONTO, Sept. 12, 2023 /CNW/ – More than 4 in 5 Canadians want new housing built to be resilient to the impacts of climate change, according to the Task Force for Housing and Climate, which released the polling results as part of its official launch today. The polling shows Canadians are increasingly alarmed about both the housing affordability crisis and the worsening climate crisis and are looking to all levels of government and industry to find a fix.
The polling results were released by the newly created Task Force for Housing and Climate, led by co-chairs Lisa Raitt, the former deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, and Don Iveson, the former mayor of Edmonton. The independent group includes fifteen housing experts from across Canada and will make recommendations to federal, provincial and municipal governments on fixing Canada’s housing crisis in a climate safe way.
Canada needs to address a housing shortage of 5.8 million homes between now and 2031, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. “That’s up to 35 percent of Canada’s existing housing stock that needs to be added all over again in just the next few years,” noted co-chair Lisa Raitt. “We urgently need to get those 5.8 million homes right, from both an affordability perspective and a climate perspective.”
The Task Force, which includes former city mayors, planners, developers, economists, insurance experts, bankers and affordable housing advocates, will convene until April 2024 to develop and champion policy recommendations that ensure new housing is built to be affordable, resilient to climate impacts, and aligned with Canada’s net-zero pollution target.
“There are ways to build new housing that are dangerous from a climate perspective,” said co-chair Don Iveson, “and there are ways to build new housing that are affordable, green and smart. We’re launching this Task Force to help governments enable the best kind of housing growth.”
The Task Force for Housing and Climate will gather analysis from research partners this month and expects to meet with federal, provincial and municipal decision makers over the next several weeks to share insights and make policy recommendations. Its work will culminate with a Policy Blueprint for Affordable and Climate-Safe Housing Growth, to be released in spring.
More information on the Task Force and polling results at: www.housingandclimate.ca
SOURCE Clean Economy Fund
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