DND to build 2,000 military housing units in Ottawa and eastern Ontario

The Department of Nation Defence unveiled an ambitious plan to build military housing across Canada, including in eastern Ontario. CTV’s Katie Griffin reports.

The Department of National Defence will build approximately 2,000 military housing units in Ottawa, Kingston and Petawawa as part of a plan to expand military housing across the country.

Defence Minister David McGunity unveiled the second phase of the military’s housing expansion program on Tuesday, which aims to spend $3.7 billion to build 7,500 new residential housing units for Canadian Armed Forces members and their families.

Under the plan, construction of primarily one and two-bedroom apartments are planned at 25 locations where Canadian Forces Housing Agency homes are located.

Over 1,000 new housing units will be built in Petawawa, over 900 housing units constructed in Kingston, and approximately 280 units built in Ottawa.

“Canadian Armed Forces members and their families deserve safe, modern and affordable housing,” McGuinty said in a statement.

“This historic expansion - including 280 new homes here in Ottawa - is one of the most significant investments in military housing in decades.”

The Department of National Defence will build over 1,000 new housing units each in Valcartier, Que. and Edmonton, and over 500 new housing units in Gagetown, N.B.

McGuinty said it would take “several years” to build 7,500 new homes across the country.

Defence Construction Canada issued an advanced procurement notice for the potential projects.

The first phase of the project saw over 800 new units built at nine locations across Canada.

Conservative MP James Bezan is calling on the Defence Minister to “get the job done and build the homes that our troops desperately need.”

“The lack of housing availability combined with the Liberal cost-of-living crisis resulted in numerous reports of troops living rough or in unsafe housing conditions to make ends meet,” Bezan, the Conservative Shadow Minister for National Defence, said in a statement.

“Conservatives support getting homes built for our troops; however we remain skeptical that the Liberals will actually deliver based on their track record. We can’t forget that the Liberals only built 38 new homes for our troops between 2021 and 2023.

The announcement of 7,000 new military housing units comes four months after a report from the auditor general found the Department of National Defence is falling short on providing adequate military housing.

According to the auditor general, DND was “not managing living accommodations in a way that meets operational requirements or responds to the needs of Canadian Armed Forces members and their families.” The findings stated many quarters were in “poor physical condition” at three bases - a Royal Canadian Navy base in Esquimalt, B.C., a Canadian Army base in Gagetown, N.B. and a Royal Canadian Air Force base in Trenton, Ont.

With files from CTV News national correspondent Rachel Aiello

• Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App