A new report highlights the crucial role provinces play in addressing Canada’s housing crisis. Released on Thursday, the report from the Task Force for Housing and Climate emphasizes that while the federal government and cities are making progress, provinces need to take more decisive action to build quality homes.

No province received a grade higher than C+ in the report, which evaluated government policies aimed at building homes quickly and sustainably. The federal government earned the highest grade at a B, while Alberta received the lowest score with a D+. The remaining provinces scored in the C range.

Mike Moffatt, the report's author and founding director of the Missing Middle Initiative at the University of Ottawa, pointed out that provinces have largely escaped scrutiny for their roles in the housing crisis. "Provinces really hold the key here. They have the most policy levers and, in many cases, they've actually done the least," he stated.

The task force, co-chaired by former Edmonton mayor Don Iveson and former deputy leader of the federal Conservatives Lisa Raitt, compiled the report card based on evaluations of policies that encourage factory-built housing, fill market gaps, boost density, map high-risk areas, and update building codes. Raitt remarked, "Currently, no government is doing enough to get these homes built."

The report revealed significant variability within provinces. For instance, Saskatchewan and Ontario are performing well in building away from high-risk areas but are lacking in increasing density. British Columbia, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island received a C+, the highest score among provinces. Moffatt noted that B.C.'s grade suffered due to slow permit approvals and high building costs, despite its encouragement of density "on paper."

Alberta's housing starts are progressing, but Moffatt attributed this success mainly to municipal leadership in Calgary and Edmonton rather than provincial policy. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith stated in the legislature that the government is "not standing in the way of the private sector to build more affordable housing," asserting that increasing housing supply would "automatically" lower costs for Albertans.

Moffatt acknowledged Smith's position as "correct," emphasizing that lowering barriers to development is essential for expanding affordable housing. However, he added that Alberta must also take responsibility for the housing demand it generates through its marketing efforts to attract Ontarians. He stressed the importance of ensuring homes are built sustainably and not in wildfire-prone areas, while also addressing gaps in social housing.

"We need both. We need a strong, robust private sector to deliver housing, but we also need government to come in and fill in the gaps," Moffatt said. He also pointed out that provinces are lagging in mapping flood plains and need to address legislation that leads to higher development charges.

The report card focused solely on implemented policies and did not account for the potential impact of proposed legislation, such as Ontario's Bill 17, which aims to expedite permits and approvals, simplify development charges, and fast-track infrastructure projects.

Additionally, the report noted that the federal government's housing accelerator fund, which encourages municipalities to simplify zoning rules, has made progress but requires enforcement tools to hold cities accountable after securing funding deals with Ottawa. Moffatt expressed hope that the report card framework could be used to track progress on housing goals in the future and to conduct further research on municipal housing policies.