Housing affordability is critical. But the most expensive home is the one we need to rebuild.
Canada’s federal government has recognized the cost of living is putting financial pressure on families across the country, and it has committed to easing this pressure by increasing the housing supply. While this is welcome news to many looking for an affordable home, if new homes aren’t built the right way and in the right places, Canada could be headed for crises in both affordability and insurability.
A new home on a flood plain isn’t affordable if insurance premiums go through the roof, or if it gets washed away in a springtime torrent.
A subsidized rental in a wildfire-prone area isn’t affordable if families are forced to evacuate every year, losing their homes and possessions to a summertime blaze.
Increasingly frequent and severe natural catastrophes across Canada are becoming the new normal. The only way to deliver truly affordable homes is to build with climate resilience as a top priority.
Insured losses have been trending upward for decades. Without proper planning, Canada could build 540,000 new homes in areas at very high risk of flooding and 220,000 new homes in municipalities exposed to severe wildfire danger. Building homes in these areas could put the families that live in them in harm's way. To be a truly resilient country, we need to do better.
Here are six ways to build affordable housing that is resilient to Canada’s climate risks:
1. Ensure new homes are not built in high-risk areas
The Canadian Climate Institute estimates that redirecting just 3% of the homes targeted for construction by 2030 – about 150,000 units – away from high flood hazard areas and toward safer ground could reduce Canada’s flood risk to new housing by nearly 80%. The federal government should place conditions on funding for housing programs and infrastructure to ensure development occurs only in low-hazard areas.
2. Improve existing homes’ ability to withstand severe weather
Rebate programs provide incentives to homeowners to retrofit their buildings to better withstand severe weather. For example, the City of Calgary’s Resilient Roofing Rebate Program once offered grants to help homeowners cover the cost of upgrading to hail-resistant roofing.
3. Update building codes
With building codes that include resilience requirements, new homes would be built more responsibly by being constructed according to the known risks in any given location. For example, building codes in Alberta could better reflect hailstorm risks, while those in Nova Scotia could be more specific to hurricane risks.
4. Foster resilience at the community level
To keep homes and residents safe, public infrastructure also needs to be able to withstand extreme weather. Municipalities own and maintain most of the country’s infrastructure and are increasingly challenged to keep up with rapid growth and urbanization, however they have limited funding to do so. There is a national infrastructure deficit estimated at $270 billion, and additional funds are needed to adapt to a changing climate. Governments should provide funding and support for municipalities for infrastructure adaptation and disaster mitigation.
5. Improve hazard mapping and early detection strategies
Canadians can better protect themselves and their properties if they know the risks their homes and communities are subject to. Governments should develop and provide homeowners with access to detailed climate-risk maps (as some provinces already do) and early detection processes and technologies, helping Canadians understand their risks. The federal government should release their long-awaited flood portal as soon as possible and then extend it to other perils, such as wildfire.
6. Support quicker disaster recovery
When disaster does strike, residents are often forced to leave their homes, disrupting their work and family lives. In some cases, the path back to normal is unbearably long, such as the wildfire recovery in Jasper, Alberta, and Lytton, British Columbia. Despite best efforts from insurers to close claims quickly, delays have left these communities in limbo for years, compounding the emotional and economic tolls of the initial disaster. These events demonstrate the need for a more coordinated and efficient recovery process.
Canada must build millions of new homes – and they need to be built to endure. If Canada approaches this initiative wisely, the country can set a global standard for climate‑resilient housing. Doing so will help shield families from future disasters, avoid billions of dollars in potential damage and insurance costs, and create safer, stronger communities for decades to come.
Every home we build shapes the future. Let’s build wisely.
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