Canada announces Thunder Bay as new Local Partner committed to using the Housing Design Catalogue

THUNDER BAY, ON, July 10, 2026 /CNW/ – Far too many Canadians are struggling to find homes they can afford. Solving Canada’s housing crisis requires immediate action to bring down costs, cut red tape, and build homes more quickly. The Government of Canada is stepping up with a bold new approach to build affordable housing across the country. 

The Housing Design Catalogue is part of a broader set of measures introduced by the federal government to double the rate of housing construction, restore affordability, and reduce homelessness. The Catalogue supports standardization in the housing sector, and local governments are key partners in unlocking that potential, through a library of over 50 pre-approved low-rise housing plans to accelerate gentle density nationwide, that’s free to use for all Canadians. The designs take into consideration the different building requirements across Canada and were developed by regional architecture and engineering teams.

Today, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for FedNor, and Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay–Superior North, on behalf of the Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada, alongside Marcus Powlowski, Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay–Rainy River and Ken Boshcoff, Mayor of the City of Thunder Bay, announced that Thunder Bay has endorsed the Housing Design Catalogue and has become the latest municipality to join dozens more across the country as an official Local Partner.

Thunder Bay is proactively supporting the Catalogue by pre-reviewing designs to support streamlined approvals–making it easier for builders and homeowners to plan their projects. And with additional support from the Housing Accelerator Fund, the City is advancing a range of housing initiatives that complement its role as a Local Partner, including the Community Improvement Program (CIP) which include incentives and fee rebates for accessory dwelling units, and zoning reforms to reduce barriers to new housing and enable more infill housing in core areas.

Work continues with local governments across Canada to encourage them to support the Housing Design Catalogue. The Government of Canada is making the housing investments that will help strengthen Canadian supply chains and create good jobs at every step of the homebuilding process – helping to build more homes and a stronger Canadian economy at the same time.

Quotes:

“Today’s announcement shows what we can achieve when governments work together to tackle Canada’s housing shortage. By partnering with municipalities like the City of Thunder Bay to support standardized housing designs and streamline approvals, we’re making it faster and easier to build the homes Canadians need. Together, we’re expanding housing choices and building stronger, more vibrant communities.” –  The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for FedNor, and Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay–Superior North

“Today shows what we can achieve when we work as partners. We all contribute in different ways, yet we’re driven by the same goal — building more homes and ensuring people across Canada and in our Thunder Bay, community have access to the housing they need.” –  Marcus Powlowski, Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay–Rainy River

“Providing ready-to-use housing designs is just one step the City of Thunder Bay is taking to address the housing needs of our community. Our City has a plan for smart growth, and we’re seeing early results with housing construction increasing year-over-year. We’re pleased to work with the CMHC to build on this progress.”- Ken Boshcoff, Mayor of Thunder Bay

Quick Facts:

• List of Local Partners: Housing Catalogue support for local governments
• Homeowners, builders, and communities interested in receiving updates can sign up on the Housing Design Catalogue webpage.
• The full technical design packages launched in October 2025 consist of architectural and engineering drawings and specifications, including accessible-ready and enhanced-accessible layouts, energy reporting documents and templates, building performance reports, and a user guide. Regional construction cost summaries and guidance on climate resilience and material selection are also now available. The designs cover all regions of the country: British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, the Atlantic provinces (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island), and the Northern territories (Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut). Designs were developed by regional architecture and engineering teams and focus on creating gentle density and infill development in existing neighbourhoods in all regions of the country.
• The federal government will continue to engage provinces and territories under the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund, including collaborating on the Housing Design Catalogue and standardized designs.
• The federal government is drawing inspiration from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)’s post-war housing design catalogues developed between the 1940s and 1970s.
• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) will continue to deliver on its mandate to contribute to the well-being of Canada’s housing system through existing programs such as the Apartment Construction Loan Program and Mortgage Loan Insurance products.
• These pre-reviewed designs can be accessed at thunderbay.ca/HousingDesignCatalogue. 

Additional Information:

• Visit canada.ca/housing for the most-requested Government of Canada housing information. 
• Build Canada Homes is ready to partner with organizations committed to increasing the supply of affordable housing across Canada. Learn more about the portal and the Investment Policy Framework.
• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is a federal Crown corporation and the foundation of Canada’s housing system. For over 80 years, CMHC has supported the functioning of housing markets across the country through housing finance solutions — including mortgage loan insurance and securitization — while providing trusted, unbiased data, research and market intelligence to inform policy and decision making. Through its national presence, deep expertise in housing economics and finance, and a system-wide perspective, CMHC helps foster a more stable, well-functioning housing market that supports households, communities and the broader economy.
  
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SOURCE Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)