Habitat for Humanity conference in Halifax discusses affordable housing strategies

Homeownership was a main topic at the Habitat for Humanity national conference in Halifax.

The ongoing housing crisis will be a main topic of discussion at the 2025 Habitat for Humanity conference in Halifax for the next three days.

“Where we need to redouble our efforts is on homeownership, in particular on affordable homeownership,” says Pedro Barata, Habitat for Humanity Canada president and CEO.

Many Canadians feel homeownership is becoming more of a luxury and those who gathered on Wednesday want change that thinking.

“The vast majority of Canadians in our own survey, more than 85 per cent of Canadians say that homeownership is increasingly out of reach and that it’s a luxury and it shouldn’t be a luxury like a place like Canada. And there are solutions that we can put in place, and we believe that we can be part of that solution or ready to make it happen,” says Barata.

This charity operates Canada’s only national affordable homeownership program and works with thousands of low to moderate income families to get them into homes they can afford.

Marvin Okello is experiencing the struggle firsthand in Halifax.

“I was hoping to be a homeowner around the time COVID happened and I thought I was on path to be a homeowner. Obviously that’s been pushed back a few years because of the crazy housing market,” says Okello.

Halifax Mayor Andy Fillmore says housing is a crisis in the region.

“We need to be building about 10,000 homes a year just to meet the current demand already. Last year we cracked just about 4,000 homes, so we need to be building a lot more homes faster,” he says.

Habitat for Humanity Nova Scotia built two homes in 2024, but they want to do more.

“Now we are looking at being innovative whether it’s modular or partnering with other development,” says Donna Williamson, Habitat for Humanity Nova Scotia CEO.

Williamson said the team is doing the redevelopment foundational work and is hoping to have some announcements in the future.

“We have not built any in 2025. We are looking at innovative ways to get more housing up only because we have been building like stick builds with volunteers and trained tradespeople. But we are looking at instead of two houses a year, how can we get 10, how can we get 20 or even more bold and 40 homes up in a year,” says Williamson.

Over the next three days in Halifax, the CEOs from across the country will discuss plans and strategies to generate more affordable housing for Canadians.

“It helps us energize our movement so we can learn from each other. We can also figure out how it is that different affiliates have different solutions forward that we can draw on and adapt in other communities. It also helps us adapt a national strategy that is rooted in local action and is really tied to what we are hearing. What is it that they need on the grassroots,” says Brata.

“For me, being able to own a home means I will be able to raise children in an environment that is, you know, healthy for them,” says Okello. “For me it would mean the world.”

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