Tower Renewal Blog

Let’s Talk Housing: Graeme Stewart Presents at the National Housing Strategy Plenary Session

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As part of the ongoing work related to Tower Renewal, ERA and the Centre for Urban Growth and Renewal are consulting with the federal government on the emerging National Housing Strategy. See Graeme Stewart in Ottawa summarizing strategies to ensure the preservation of Canada’s aging apartment housing stock, and to support its rehabilitation through Tower Renewal.

A consultation and solutions workshop held in Ottawa focused on the key issue of ‘Maintaining and Preserving Existing Rental.’ Home to millions across Canada, the preservation and enhancement of Canada’s stock of apartment high-rises built from 1950 – 1980 is key in meeting today’s urgent housing quality, health and sustainability goals.

This shift will require innovative solutions to several key issues: creating the conditions for investment toward low energy, healthy and complete neighbourhoods; and enabling this transformation while maintaining housing affordability.

The housing strategy-working group outlined three themes for program development:

  1. Project Financing: The need to address market investment gaps in supporting deep retrofits through a variety of sources, such as low interest loans, performance-based grants, performance-based tax incentives and other tools;
  2. Affordability: Continuing support agreements for public housing, and ensuring that retrofit of support for private housing does not place affordability risks on residents; and
  3. Operating Sustainability: Developing a financial capacity and management structure to ensure elevated housing performance standards are maintained in the long term.

Stay tuned for more information on the National Housing Strategy and Tower Renewal in the coming weeks.

To view the full presentation, click here.

To view Graeme’s presentation on preserving existing rental housing, click here.