The Canadian federal government revealed its 2024 budget on Tuesday, April 16th, unveiling a range of initiatives aimed at bolstering housing affordability for Canadians. Here's a breakdown of eight housing policies outlined in this year’s budget:

1. Canadian Renters’ Bill of Rights: With more Canadians renting for extended periods, measures were introduced to safeguard tenants and facilitate their transition to homeownership. This includes the creation of a national standard lease agreement and incentivizing landlords to disclose rental price history. Additionally, a Tenant Protection Fund with $15 million allocated over five years will offer legal support to tenants.

2. Funding for New Home Construction: Significant investment was pledged towards constructing new housing units. The Canada Builds initiative, alongside increased funding for the Apartment Construction Loan Program, aims to facilitate the creation of 30,000 new homes by 2031. Additional financial support was allocated to the Housing Accelerator Fund and the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund.

3. Extended Mortgage Amortizations: First-time buyers of newly-constructed homes will have access to 30-year mortgage amortizations, effective August 1st. This move is expected to reduce monthly payments and ease the financial burden on homebuyers.

4. Amendments to the Home Buyers’ Plan: The RRSP withdrawal limit on the Home Buyers’ Plan was raised from $35,000 to $60,000, offering aspiring homeowners greater flexibility in accessing funds for down payments, for those first time buyers who have been able to afford RRSP savings.

5. Support for Single-Family Home Suites: A $409.6 million investment over four years was earmarked for the Canada Secondary Suite Loan Program, enabling homeowners to borrow up to $40,000 for the construction of secondary housing units.

6. Funding for Post-War Housing Catalog: The modernization of the post-war home design catalogue received $11.6 million in funding, facilitating the development of standardized blueprints for various housing types.

7. Conversion of Public Lands into Housing: To address land scarcity, plans were announced to utilize public lands for housing development. The Public Lands for Homes Plan aims to build 250,000 new homes by 2031, with measures to reduce capital costs and repurpose federal office buildings for residential use.

These policies are the Federal Government's attempt to address housing affordability challenges and fostering sustainable housing development across Canada. While the efficacy of these changes remains to be seen, it appears that this is only the beginning based on the policies introduced over the last several months.