Climate Proof Canada has hailed that 18 of the recommendations from its National Climate Adaptation Summit were cited in the “Blueprint for More and Better Housing” by the independent Housing & Climate Task Force.

The blueprint, released on March 5, sets out recommendations for federal, provincial, and municipal governments aimed at achieving the goal of building 5.8 million new homes in Canada by 2030 to restore affordability.

Commenting on the task force’s report, the endnotes of which show the adapted recommendations, Climate Proof Canada chair Jason Clark said: “Climate Proof Canada developed a series of recommendations to guide federal investment that will enable Canada to make rapid, tangible progress on the targets set out in the NAS (National Adaptation Strategy) and become more climate resilient.

“One of the requirements of the National Adaptation Strategy is that resilience must be incorporated into all infrastructure investments by 2024.

“Canada must recognize the impact climate change is having on households across the country. We must factor resilience measures into housing investments so that we build homes in the right way and in the right places, so that households are protected now and into the future.

“Where we build resilient homes represents the biggest opportunity in the report. Seizing it will require coordinated leadership by all orders of government. As such, we call on governments to legalize density, including by eliminating unit maximums, abolishing parking minimums, and adopting ambitious density rules near transit lines, as well as ensuring no new housing is built in areas at high risk of worsening climate hazards.”

Clark’s camp has called on the federal government to act on these recommendations by the Housing & Climate Task Force: build in the right ways; build in the right places; and protect existing communities.

“Focusing new housing in cities and communities, where there is existing infrastructure, can cut housing costs, speed up construction times, reduce carbon pollution, and help prevent catastrophic loss due to climate threats like wildfire and flooding,” said Clark.

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