Infrastructure Minister designated for CMHC

Summary#

The federal government issued Order Designating the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities as the Minister for the Purposes of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Act: SI/2023-42. It repeals an earlier order and names the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities as the minister responsible under the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Act. The Order in Council is P.C. 2023-772 (dated July 26, 2023) and was published in the Canada Gazette on August 16, 2023.

What it does#

• Repeals the earlier designation set out in P.C. 2021-947 (the order registered as SI/2021-92 on October 26, 2021).
• Designates the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities as the minister "for the purposes of" the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Act.
  (In plain terms: it assigns which cabinet minister is officially linked to the federal housing agency under that statute.)

Who's affected#

• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), because the order determines which minister is formally responsible under the Act.
• The office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, which now holds that statutory designation.
• Parliamentarians, stakeholders, and observers of federal housing policy who track which minister answers questions or represents CMHC in government.
• It is not clear from the order whether any immediate program or operational changes at CMHC will follow.

Why it matters#

• This is mainly an administrative change that identifies which cabinet minister is officially responsible for the CMHC under federal law.
• That designation affects who is accountable in Parliament and who coordinates federal housing responsibilities with other parts of government.
• For most members of the public, the change is procedural. For housing sector groups, municipal governments, and policymakers, it can matter for where to direct questions, requests, and coordination on housing programs.