OTTAWA, ON, Jan. 12, 2026 /CNW/ - With a greater focus on more housing density, upzoning, homes near transit and affordable housing, we are going to get more homes built for Canadians at prices they can afford. Over the last two years, funding agreements through the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) have incentivizedand rewardedlocal governments for being ambitious in their approaches to increasing housing supply and accelerating development timelines. In the first year of the HAF, local governments who received funding issued 160,585 residential building permits, which was 22,000 more than expected. These early results show the potential of HAF to cut through red tape and fast track housing development in communities right across Canada.

The HAF was introduced to reward ambitious approaches from local governments. The HAF was also meant to be a transparent program, with regular reporting mechanisms, and for the ability for Canadians to see where there were successes, and where there was more work to be done.

Today, the Government of Canada announced the launch of the HAF Progress Tracker, the latest tool for public tracking of HAF progress in communities throughout Canada, providing a comprehensive overview of HAF results over the first year of the program. Building on the publication of HAF Action Plan Summaries for large/urban municipalities, the HAF Progress Tracker will provide increased transparency and accountability on the work being done by local governments to meet the obligations of their HAF agreements.

To be approved for HAF funding, local governments developed ambitious Action Plans, setting out to cut red tape which slows down housing and committing to approve more new housing permits than would have been approved otherwise. Local governments received 25% of their HAF funding up front, with three annual payments to follow on condition the commitments in their HAF agreement are met. In certain cases, funding may be reduced, or agreements terminated if commitments are not met. Local governments must submit annual reports to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), outlining progress made according to their HAF agreements.

Over the past year, CMHC has published detailed summaries outlining HAF cities' commitments, growth targets, and progress. The Housing Accelerator Fund continues to have a positive impact across Canada in encouraging local governments to think big and be innovative in their response to the housing crisis.

Quote:

"Our government is committed to removing barriers and cutting red tape to enable more housing development in communities across Canada. We are also committed to demonstrating results and being transparent wherever possible. The new Housing Accelerator Fund Progress Tracker will clearly show which local governments are acting ambitiously to get new housing built, along with providing added transparency to protect the integrity of HAF agreements." — The Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada

Quick Facts:

• Since its launch in March 2023, a total of $4.37 billion in funding has been committed through HAF to help cut red tape and fast track new homes for people in towns, cities, and Indigenous communities across the country.
• Local governments estimate HAF funding will lead to the creation of over 750,000 new homes for people in towns, cities, and Indigenous communities across Canada over the next decade.

Additional Information:

• Visit canada.ca/housing for the most-requested Government of Canada housing information.
• Follow CMHC on X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.  
• Housing Accelerator Fund | CMHC

SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)