Ottawa, Ontario – Canadian Human Rights Commission
A version of this story appeared in the Calgary Herald on August 27, 2025.
By Marie-Josée Houle and Stephanie Chipeur
When Prime Minister Carney called out “build, baby, build!” to the cheering crowd on Canada Day, it was more than a rallying cry. It was federal policy. A key part of the Government’s plan through what he calls a hinge moment in our history, is to double the number of homes — faster and more affordably. His government has already promised a new crown entity to lead the charge, called Build Canada Homes.
It’s an inspiring vision. But it’s not the first of its kind.
Most of us can still spot wartime houses around our neighbourhoods, built in the 1940s to tackle the severe post-war housing crisis. Led by the federal government, they provided affordable housing at scale. But despite being designed in part to support veterans, many with combat-related injuries, these houses were not built to account for people’s diverse and changing disabilities.
Eighty-five years later, despite everything we should know about accessibility and disability rights, Canada risks repeating the same mistake. As we move forward with a new national housing push, we have the chance, and the obligation, to get it right this time.
One of the first steps is ensuring the National Building Code is fit for purpose. Currently, it lacks comprehensive, up-to-date accessibility standards and exempts a wide range of small-scale housing. The Federal Housing Advocate warned federal ministers in a 2024 open letter that this gap is inconsistent with Canada’s human rights obligations.
The consequences are profound. The shortage of accessible housing has reached a breaking point. It undermines human rights, strains our health and social services systems, limits workforce participation, and has economic ripple effects.
Over 8 million Canadians live with a disability and that number will only grow as our population ages. Accessible housing is a moral and pragmatic imperative. This national building plan can do both: meet the urgency of this moment and fulfill Canada’s human rights obligations.
This means changing the way we design housing from the start. If housing is designed to be adaptable, it costs less money, takes less time and avoids disruption when people’s needs change – whether that’s ageing in place or acquiring a disability. And to design and build all homes in this way doesn’t have to cost more money, nor take up a larger footprint, than the status quo.
We already have the tools. Canada’s Housing Design Catalogue, developed by Accessibility Standards Canada, features accessible designs ready to build. These designs include flexible features, that can be easily and inexpensively adapted later in life – like reinforced walls that can accommodate a future lift or a grab bar, for example. The catalogue also features enhanced accessible unit designs for people with disabilities – these units are essential to address Canada’s lack of supply of fully accessible housing.
And, we have the momentum. Recently, the Advocate issued a request for the National Housing Council to examine the issue of inaccessible housing. It calls for stronger integration of accessible and adaptable housing in all federal housing programs and policies. Together, along with the voices of fellow advocates, we’re going to ensure this issue is heard and is part of the national conversation.
Accessible housing is about all of us. One quarter of people in Canada identify as having a disability. We will all grow older.
Canada’s next chapter is before us. Prime Minister Carney, in his Canada Day address, envisioned building “a Canada for all, and for all time.” In order to do that, the federal government must rise to the challenge and build a generation of homes that are adaptable to everybody’s needs for the long run. Not only does it make smart economic sense, it’s the right thing to do. It goes hand in hand with building a resilient future for Canada.
Prime Minister Carney, in his Canada Day address, envisioned building “a Canada for all, and for all time.” In order to do that, the federal government and its partners must rise to the challenge and build a generation of homes that are adaptable to everybody’s needs for the long run. Not only does it make smart economic sense, it’s the right thing to do. It goes hand in hand with building a resilient future for Canada.
That means building these new homes in line with the goals of the Accessible Canada Act, the Canadian Human Rights Act, and other legislation — so as to not perpetuate barriers.
Canada missed the chance to get this right before. This time, we have the knowledge, the tools and the mandate. Let's not waste it.
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Marie-Josée Houle is Canada’s Federal Housing Advocate, a non-partisan, independent human rights watchdog for housing and homelessness that provides advice and recommendations to the federal minister responsible for housing.
Stephanie Chipeur holds the Azrieli Accelerator Professorship in Law & Disability Policy at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law.
Recommendations to Build Canada Homes can be submitted until August 29.
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