The Federal Government has announced a push to add housing units at a number of bases across the country, including dozens of new units for personnel at CFB Trenton.
On Thursday, the Honourable Stephanie McLean, Secretary of State (Seniors), on behalf of Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence, participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the recent acquisition of a brand-new, privately developed apartment complex located minutes from Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt. This four-storey, $23.3 million apartment complex includes 37 move-in ready apartments and 47 parking spots and will be used to house CAF members working at the Base starting in January 2026.
To help meet the housing needs of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members and their families, the Canadian Forces Housing Agency (CFHA) is exploring alternative solutions through private sector partnerships and support to federal housing initiatives, including acquisitions like this one. This particular acquisition was achieved through an unprecedented, multi-departmental approach that reduced a typical processing time of one to two years into just five weeks to complete, resulting in faster access to housing for CAF members.
CFB Esquimalt is one of several locations receiving significant increases in CAF housing-related projects, including the construction and acquisition of several hundred residential housing units by mid-2030s. Minister McGuinty also highlighted the progress being made with other housing initiatives across Canada, including:
Construction of 36 apartment units in six net-zero-emissions ready apartment buildings in Edmonton to be ready in Spring 2026, the first of their kind in the Government of Canada; Completion of two new six-unit buildings late 2026 and the design of an additional 48 residential housing units in Kingston; Multi-year construction of 60 residential housing units starting this Fall in Valcartier; Construction of 48 residential housing units in Borden; Start of the design of 48 residential housing units in Halifax; 80 in Petawawa; 72 in Borden and 40 in Gagetown; and Reserving 20 completed residential housing units from the private sector and the design of 92 residential housing units to start this Fall in Trenton.
These first initiatives were launched in areas identified as having the highest need for military housing. Over the coming decade, additional locations with Department of National Defence residential housing units will also undergo new construction.
Quick Facts
The recently acquired apartment complex will be managed by CFHA. Thanks to innovative planning and design work with partners like Defence Construction Canada, CFHA was able to make better use of space at select sites by improving the layout of the new multi-unit buildings. As a result, 124 units are being added to the previously announced 120 new builds in Esquimalt, bringing the total to 244 units for Phase 1 only. Announced in August 2024, design work is also proceeding at CFB Esquimalt for a new, 31,700 m2, 480-room military accommodations facility for Junior Non-Commission Members. The defence policy, Our North, Strong and Free allocated $2 billion over 20 years to establish a Canadian Armed Forces Housing Strategy, build new housing, and rehabilitate existing housing. This funding is in addition to the $475 million committed over 10 years starting in 2022-23. The first phase of CFHA’s Residential Portfolio Capital Investment Plan construction program will deliver 824 residential housing units at nine priority locations over the next five years, including:
Esquimalt – 244 units
Borden – 120 units;
Edmonton – 80 units;
Gagetown – 40 units;
Halifax – 48 units;
Kingston – 60 units;
Petawawa – 80 units;
Trenton – 92 units; and
Valcartier – 60 units.
(PAUL MARTIN)
