The federal government is moving ahead with a major affordable housing project in Ottawa under its newly launched Build Canada Homes program, marking one of the first direct-build initiatives by the agency.
On Wednesday, the Government of Canada announced that Build Canada Homes is now accepting Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) for the redevelopment of the 1495 Heron Road property, an 18-acre federal site located roughly 20 minutes from downtown Ottawa.
The site is expected to accommodate approximately 1,100 residential units, delivered using modern construction methods to accelerate timelines and reduce costs.
According to Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, the project will follow a Direct Build approach, with some existing buildings on the site slated for repurposing to preserve their historical significance.
The initiative is intended to blend heritage elements with new residential development while significantly expanding affordable housing supply in the city.
Build Canada Homes was officially launched in September 2025 as a new federal agency tasked with scaling affordable housing delivery by leveraging public land, flexible financing tools, and partnerships with the private sector. The agency’s mandate includes delivering deeply affordable, supportive, transitional, and middle-class housing at scale, while also supporting the growth of modern construction and manufacturing capacity.
The Ottawa project follows an earlier RFQ issued for the Arbo Downsview site in Toronto, and signals the federal government’s intent to play a more direct role in housing development as it works to double the pace of homebuilding over the next decade.
