Canadians were reminded this week that their governments can’t fix every problem with our money.

The parliamentary budget officer (PBO) reported that the federal government’s signature $13-billion Build Canada Homes program will only lead to the construction of 26,000 new homes over the next five years, with only half of them available to low-income households.

Interim PBO Jason Jacques said that’s just 3.7% of the 690,000 housing units that will have to be built over the next decade — beyond business as usual — to meet increased demand.

“Build Canada Homes should be expected to make a modest contribution toward housing supply and affordability,” the PBO said.

But overall, the report noted, “Federal planned spending on housing programs is set to decline 56%, from $9.8 billion in 2025-2

See Full Page