Despite public desire for single-family homes, the Liberal government continues to champion modular housing as a solution for Canadians priced out of the market.
Prime Minister Mark Carney campaigned on the promise that his government could build half a million homes annually to mitigate the housing crisis, driven largely by the use of modular homes.
However, critics of the plan have called it a ‘band-aid solution’ and a push for Canadians to stay stuck in a cycle of renting as opposed to home ownership.
Liberal MP Chrystia Freeland renewed calls for the government to construct modular housing as an option for Canadians unable to afford buying a home in the House of Commons on Monday.
“One of the policies the prime minister campaigned on was building modular housing,” said Freeland. “That is a way to get more homes built faster. We know by removing barriers to internal trade in our country, we can get a modular housing industry going in our country. That is one of the solutions to the housing crisis.”
Freeland called for opposition members to “be constructive and support” the “important legislation” being put forward by the Carney government regarding their housing plan.
Conservative MP Jacob Mantle responded to her comments by saying that people of his generation refuse to “live in a shipping container.”
“Toronto’s housing market ranks among the worst in the world for affordability,” said Mantle.
“At the same time, mortgage delinquency rates in Toronto are higher than at any time during the pandemic. The financial burden is suffocating the next generation of home buyers.”
He then called for the Liberals to present a budget, something that has been a contentious bone between the two parties since last month, when Finance Minister Francois-Philippe said the party won’t be releasing anything before the fall economic statement.
Minister of Jobs and Families Patty Hadju responded to Mantle’s comments by refuting his comparison to shipping containers.
“I’ve travelled all across this country. It’s a huge privilege of this job and I’ve visited families in every riding from every walk of life,” said Hadju. “And I can tell you that modular housing, which provides a housing solution for so many families, is not a shipping container.”
Hadju went on to say that making such a comparison “indicates the kind of disrespect that the Conservative Party of Canada has for low-income Canadians and middle-income Canadians.”
However, there has been a strong backlash online to the idea of Canadians having to settle for modular homes, with many frustrated with the lack of new housing starts in recent years.
While modular homes may offer some reprieve from the housing shortage, building permits themselves are barely being issued.
The government has promised to stimulate Canada’s dismal housing market but the number of building permits issued in April saw one of the largest declines since 2020.
Building permits dropped 6.6 per cent in April and fell by 16.4 per cent annually, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada.
The data also marked a 14 per cent drop compared to last April.