SAGUENAY, QC, July 17, 2026 /CNW/ — Following the announcement in April 2026 of the first phase of the partnership between Build Canada Homes and the Société d’habitation du Québec to build more than 850 affordable homes, the governments of Canada and Quebec are confirming the progress of talks by the joint Build Canada Homes–Société d’habitation du Québec Collaboration Table, leading to a second phase that includes about 2,000 new affordable homes.
This second phase includes investments of $250 million from the Government of Canada and $184 million from the Government of Quebec, including nearly $70 million for rent supplements allocated to eligible low-income households. This brings the total number of new affordable homes that will be built across Quebec to more than 2,800.
This achievement is made possible through the collaboration established within the Joint Collaboration Table. These 2,815 new housing units, which exceed the original target, demonstrate the effectiveness of federal-provincial cooperation in accelerating housing construction.
One example of the results of this collaboration is the construction of 15 affordable units in Jonquière by the Coopérative d’habitation La Solidarité de Saguenay, helping address persistent housing needs in the region.
Building more homes, faster, across Quebec
In Quebec, Build Canada Homes is also advancing the construction of 1,055 homes on public lands in Longueuil through its Direct Build sites. Together, these efforts will support more than 4,000 homes across Quebec.
Nearly 75% of these new homes will be built using modern methods of construction creating sustained demand for Canadian and Quebec industry and workers, while expanding Canadian and Quebec production capacity, and accelerating the growth of a modern housing industry capable of delivering homes at greater scale and speed. This multi-year partnership represents a combined investment of more than $700 million from Build Canada Homes, the Société d’habitation du Québec, municipalities, private-sector partners, and non-profit organisations.
The work will also deliver:
- 157 supportive housing units designated for vulnerable populations, with a specific focus on very-low- to low-income households;
- 1,808 affordable homes across the province, meeting the needs of rural communities, as well as additional affordable housing supported through innovative construction and financing approaches.
In the coming weeks and months, both partners will work with private financing, local governments and the non-profit sector to identify Modern Methods of Construction builders across Quebec and Canada to help build these homes and grow our Canadian and Quebec industry. This demonstrates the promise of Build Canada Homes–governments working with the private sector, financial partners, local governments and the non-profit sector to maximise our impact.
Canada and Quebec are establishing a model to deliver affordable housing at scale. In the face of global uncertainty, we are choosing to build–working in partnership with provinces and territories to deliver the homes Canadians need.
Quotes
“Every Canadian deserves a safe, affordable place to call home. This partnership with the Société d’habitation du Québec demonstrates what can be achieved when governments work together with communities and housing providers toward a common goal. By investing in nearly 2,000 permanently affordable homes and embracing innovative construction approaches, we are helping more Québec families, seniors, and vulnerable individuals find housing they can afford, while accelerating the delivery of the homes our communities need.”
— The Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada
“Collaboration between the governments of Quebec and Canada, along with all partners on the ground, has never been more productive. Our commitment to leveraging the partnership between Build Canada Homes and the Société d’habitation du Québec to accelerate the construction of affordable housing in Quebec, while respecting Quebec’s jurisdiction in this field, continues to generate results. This second phase demonstrates our ongoing efforts and the effectiveness of the collaboration in place. Ultimately, families, individuals living alone and all those in need of affordable housing are the real beneficiaries of today’s announcement.”
— Karine Boivin Roy, Minister Responsible for Housing
“Today is a great day for the La Solidarité Housing Cooperative project, but also for me personally as a Member of the National Assembly. After 13 years of tireless work by Loge m’entraide, and after having had the privilege of supporting its Executive Director, Ms. Sonia Côté, over the past four years, we can finally proclaim, loud and clear, despite the many obstacles we have faced along the way: victory! Together, we never gave up, because when a community contributes more than $650,000 in donations to make a project a reality, it is impossible for its elected representative to walk away. What a source of pride it is to conclude my mandate by finally announcing the realization of this 15-unit social housing project here in Jonquière. Long live the new La Solidarité Housing Cooperative!”
— Yannick Gagnon, Member of the National Assembly for Jonquière
“This partnership marks an important step forward in our mission to build more affordable homes, faster. By combining the strengths of Build Canada Homes, the Société d’habitation du Québec, municipalities, non-profit housing providers, and industry partners, we are creating a model that can deliver permanent affordability at scale. Most importantly, this partnership will help more people find a safe, affordable place to call home.”
— Ana Bailão, Chief Executive Officer of Build Canada Homes
“The Société d’habitation du Québec is proud to play an important role in implementing the measures put in place by governments to increase the supply of social and affordable housing in Quebec. We will make every effort to ensure these investments are quickly translated into new homes that are ready to be occupied by households in need.”
— Jean Martel, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Société d’habitation du Québec
“With a vacancy rate of just 1.3% in Saguenay, access to affordable housing has become a real challenge for far too many families and individuals. Every project counts. La Coopérative d’habitation La Solidarité will provide 15 families and individuals access to healthy, high-quality housing that is within their means. This is exactly the kind of project that builds a city on a human scale, and the entire city council welcomes this announcement.”
— His Worship Luc Boivin, Mayor of Saguenay
Quick facts
- Launched in September 2025, Build Canada Homes is Canada’s federal organization dedicated to building and financing affordable housing at scale. On June 19, 2026, the Build Canada Homes Act received Royal Assent, establishing Build Canada Homes as a Crown corporation with the permanent tools and authority to deploy capital at scale and accelerate the delivery of affordable homes across the country.
- Under the federal government’s approach, Build Canada Homes plays a central role in the effort to build more affordable housing. Canada’s new federal housing agency is tasked with accelerating the pace of housing construction by investing in affordable housing, supportive housing, and community housing projects to help create stronger and more inclusive communities.
- Since its launch, Build Canada Homes has advanced direct build projects in Longueuil, Dartmouth, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Edmonton, and secured major housing partnerships across the country – including with Québec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, British Columbia, Yukon, a tripartite agreement with Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, City of Ottawa. In April 2026, Build Canada Homes approved eight projects that will build over 1,100 new rental homes in Ottawa – exceeding initial targets.
- Together, these Direct Build projects and major agreements represent more than 10,000 new homes.
- This early progress demonstrates Build Canada Homes’ ability to move quickly, work across jurisdictions, and deliver results at scale.
- For its part, Quebec has adopted the Stratégie québécoise en habitation and has implemented a series of programs and financial incentives to accelerate the construction of affordable housing throughout Quebec. The results are tangible, as nearly 9,000 affordable housing units are expected to be completed by 2026.
- Today’s announcement builds on the strong partnership between Canada and Québec – and the concrete results it is already delivering to get more homes built across the province:
- In January 2026, Canada and Québec signed a memorandum of understanding to guide the deployment of Build Canada Homes across Québec, in line with the province’s priorities and jurisdictions, and established a joint Collaboration Table to co-ordinate funding, streamline approval processes, and improve alignment between federal, provincial, municipal, and community partners. At the same time, the federal government committed nearly $1 billion under the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund to help Québec build the water and wastewater infrastructure needed to enable new housing.
- In April 2026, under this partnership, Canada and Québec announced joint funding of $200 million to deliver nearly 865 new affordable, supportive, and transitional homes across the province – including Îlot Saint-Vincent-de-Paul in Québec City, one of the first Build Canada Homes projects to move forward in the country.
- Modern methods of construction – such as factory-built, modular, and mass timber – allow homes to be built faster, year-round, and more sustainably, improving project predictability and reducing construction timelines, while creating demand for Canadian lumber, steel, and aluminium, in line with the Government of Canada’s Buy Canadian Policy.
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