Ottawa spending $3.7 billion to boost military housing stock

OTTAWA — The federal government will spend $3.7 billion to build 6,000 more housing units for Canada’s military, Defence Minister David McGuinty said on Tuesday.

McGuinty made the announcement at CFB Uplands in Ottawa, but could not provide a timeline for when the new units would be built other than saying it will span “several years.”

The units will be spread out across 25 communities, and build on the 800-some new units already under construction.

“Our bases are more than just workplaces, they’re neighbourhoods, they’re places where members access essential services, raise their families, get the care and support they need, and build a sense of belonging,” McGuinty said.

“Today’s announcement is also about more than building just new housing. It’s about strengthening the readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces.”

A report from Canada’s auditor general last year said the military’s housing units are getting older and are in poor condition. It also said the military had a shortfall in available housing across multiple bases.

“That might mean that buildings didn’t have safe drinking water … toilets weren’t working, or there was structural damage to the exterior walls of the building,” Auditor General Karen Hogan told a news conference in October after the report’s release.

“These are the kind of conditions that you and I wouldn’t want to live in, and the kind of conditions I don’t think we should expect our Canadian Armed Forces to live in.”

CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick is slated to get 500 new units from Tuesday’s announcement, Kingston, Ont., is set to get 900 units, while Valcartier, Que., Petawawa, Ont., and Edmonton will each get more than 1,000 new units.

Liberal MP David Myles, whose riding encompasses CFB Gagetown, said the funding for housing is “great news,” but Canadian Armed Forces members in his riding say other major infrastructure upgrades are also badly needed.

“Go on a base, check it out and you’ll see the needs are great. Many of these buildings haven’t been touched since the 1960s,” Myles, who accompanied McGuinty at the announcement, told The Canadian Press.

“There’s roads, and many of the large infrastructure buildings that house a lot of the equipment haven’t been updated. It’s like asbestos — that you wouldn’t really want in a building.”

McGuinty said the extra funding will help with recruitment for the Armed Forces. He said recruitment is up by 13 per cent over the last eight months.

Asked by reporters if 13 per cent was “good enough” McGuinty replied, “that’s pretty good.”

“Thirteen per cent is 13 per cent more than it was a year ago,” McGuinty said.

“I think applications are up because Canadians want to serve. Canadians are, I think, they’re very engaged in the project called ‘Canada’ right now. I think they want to make sure that Canada remains a secure and sovereign country.”

Conservative defence critic James Bezan said while his party welcomes the increased support for building homes, they remain skeptical the Liberals will actually deliver.

“As reported by the National Defence committee, in 2023-2024, there was a wait-list of over 6,700 Canadian Armed Forces members waiting for military housing,” Bezan said in a statement.

“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.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2026.

— With files from Kyle Duggan

Nick Murray, The Canadian Press