Fund non‑profit and co‑op housing
Petitioners ask the Government of Canada to fund long‑term non‑profit/co‑op housing; limit REITs and big investors and end REIT tax breaks; create national rent controls; and ban blind bids while guaranteeing inspections. The government responds it will boost supply via national housing programs, work with provinces on renter protections, and not change REIT tax rules.
Why we would sign this petition
- Increases long‑term affordable supply by funding non‑profit and co‑op housing, creating more permanent community‑led rental units.
- Targets housing financialization by curbing REIT and large investor influence and reclaiming tax advantages to fund affordable housing.
- Strengthens renter and buyer protections via national rent controls and a Home Buyer's Bill banning blind bids and guaranteeing inspections.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Would require substantial federal spending and policy change, creating trade‑offs about budget priorities and feasibility.
- Real estate, tenancy rules and taxation are mainly provincial/territorial matters, so federal action may be limited or face jurisdictional challenges.
- Stricter REIT regulation and taxation could reduce private investment in rental housing, risking lower supply or unintended market effects.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA Whereas: Housing is a fundamental human right that is recognized under international human rights law; Everyone should be able to afford a safe, dignified place to call home, but the housing crisis has made housing unaffordable for many; The number of people living unsheltered has increased across the country, and tripled in Waterloo Region since 2018; Large corporate investors and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are rapidly buying up affordable housing units and increasing rents to maximize their profits; Decades of underinvestment by all levels of government have left a shortage of affordable rental housing in Waterloo Region and across the country. We, the undersigned call upon the Government of Canada to: Increase long-term federal funding to create more non-profit and co-op housing; Fight the financialization of housing by regulating REITs and limiting the influence of large corporate investors in the housing market; Remove the corporate tax exemption for REITs to ensure they pay their fair share of taxes, using the revenue to fund affordable housing; Protect tenant rights by creating national rent control standards; Make home ownership more attainable through a Home Buyer's Bill of Rights, ending blind bidding and giving buyers the right to a home inspection.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada Signed by Jennifer McKelvie, M.P. The Government of Canada thanks the petitioners for sharing their concerns about housing affordability in Canada. The Government of Canada is committed to building more homes, faster, to meet the needs of a growing Canada. This demands a Team Canada approach. No one level of government, home builder, not-for-profit, or community can do it alone. We need every partner pulling in the same direction to make housing more attainable and affordable for everyone. Federal, provincial, and territorial governments have shared responsibilities in housing, and strong partnerships with municipalities are essential to increasing supply and creating long-term solutions. Through the National Housing Strategy Act, the Government of Canada recognizes that housing is essential to the inherent dignity and well-being of the person and is committed to furthering the progressive realization of the right to adequate housing. This right is recognized in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Furthering the right to housing means taking steps to improve housing outcomes so that everyone in Canada has access to housing that is safe and affordable. In 2017, the government launched the National Housing Strategy, a 10-year, over $115 billion strategy to give more people living in Canada a place to call home. The Strategy includes a number of programs and initiatives designed to increase housing affordability and boost housing supply and places a significant emphasis on addressing the housing needs of populations with unique needs– including Indigenous Peoples, seniors, and people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. More information on the Strategy, including progress updates and results, can be found on the National Housing Strategy website. On September 14, 2025, the Government of Canada launched Build Canada Homes, a new federal agency with the mandate to scale up the supply of affordable housing across Canada. This includes a strong focus on growing non-profit and co-operative housing as part of a larger effort to expand community-led, long-term affordable homes. By leveraging public lands, deploying flexible financial tools, and acting as a catalyst for modern methods of construction, Build Canada Homes is driving a more productive and innovative homebuilding sector. Working in partnership with non-profits, Indigenous organizations, private developers, and all orders of government, Build Canada Homes is accelerating the delivery of housing Canadians need—faster, smarter, and more affordable. The Government of Canada is also committed to working to prevent and reduce homelessness. Launched in 2019, Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy, provides funding and support to urban, Indigenous, territorial, and rural and remote communities to help them address local homelessness needs. Through Reaching Home, the federal government is investing $5 billion to provide direct support and funding to prevent and reduce homelessness in communities across Canada. In addition, Build Canada Homes is working with provinces, territories, municipalities, and Indigenous communities to help address homelessness by deploying $1 billion towards the creation of transitional and supportive housing for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Housing in Canada is a shared responsibility between different levels of government. Local governments play an important role in creating the conditions to remove systemic barriers to housing supply in their jurisdiction. While tenant rights and landlord-tenant relations fall under provincial and territorial jurisdiction, the Government of Canada is committed to working with provincial and territorial partners to help ensure that the rental system is fair, open, and transparent. The Government of Canada has advanced initiatives to improve fairness in the rental system, support renters, and strengthen tenant protections. This includes publishing the Blueprint for a Renters’ Bill of Rights, which calls on provinces, territories, and housing partners to fulfill the right to adequate housing by making necessary investments to address core housing needs through affordable and non-market housing options. The Blueprint sets out a policy approach for creating fair and well-functioning renting systems, based on four key principles aligned with the right to adequate housing. It aims to support fair and transparent rental practices, addressing challenges such as high rents, unfair rental practices, and renovictions. Governments, real estate professionals, financial institutions, builders and developers, legal professionals, and individuals all play a role in ensuring a fair and equitable housing market. This requires all parties to respect each other’s rights and responsibilities, uphold legal obligations, and engage in good faith, fair, and ethical practices. Provinces and territories hold primary responsibility for real estate and consumer affairs. The federal government has published the Blueprint for a Home Buyers' Bill of Rights, which outlines the federal government's policy objectives in this regard, aiming to build a national consensus to ensure that the home buying process remains fair and transparent. Once again, the federal government thanks the petitioners for sharing their concerns. The Government of Canada remains focused on making housing more attainable and affordable for Canadians. Response by the Minister of Finance and National Revenue Signed by The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne The government is committed to making housing more affordable for Canadians and recognizes Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) own a significant share of Canada's rental units. While ensuring that Canadians are not subject to renovictions and that rental units are affordable for Canadians remain key priorities, the government understands that REITs provide a critical channel for new investment in rental units. In terms of taxation, REITs do not benefit from a corporate tax exemption. Rather, REITs are subject to tax rules that distinguish REITs and similar investment funds that invest in and hold property on a passive basis, from other investment funds that are carrying on an active business. Where certain stringent criteria are met, a REIT is taxed on a flow-through basis to the extent it distributes its income to its investors. This means that income earned by a REIT that is distributed to its investors is not taxed in the REIT, but is instead taxed at the investor level. This results in income earned by the REIT and distributed to investors bearing roughly the same amount of tax that would have applied if the income had been earned directly by the investor. Any REIT income not distributed to its investors is taxed in the REIT at the highest personal tax rate. In this spirit, no changes to the tax treatment of REITs are being considered at this time.