Canada’s Affordable Housing Report Card: Alberta Scores Lowest, P.E.I. Leads on Market Gaps

A new national report card ranking Canada’s provinces on housing affordability and climate resilience is highlighting where progress is being made—and where major gaps remain. Alberta received the lowest overall grade with a D+, while no province scored higher than a C+. The federal government earned a B, driven by its proactive policies around tax incentives, land use, and municipal zoning reform.

The report, titled the Report Card on More and Better Housing, was developed by the Task Force for Housing and Climate and led by Mike Moffatt, director of the Missing Middle Initiative at the University of Ottawa. Each region was graded across five categories: legalizing density, building code modernization, factory-built housing, climate-risk avoidance, and addressing affordable housing gaps.

Alberta: The Lowest Performing Province

Alberta scored poorly in nearly every category:

C- in legalizing density
D in building code reform
D- in factory-built housing
D in climate-risk zoning
C in addressing market gaps

The province was criticized for lacking leadership on building code reform, climate adaptation, and modular housing innovation. The report called for reduced red tape and more provincial leadership.

British Columbia, Quebec, and P.E.I.: Top Provincial Scores

These provinces tied for the highest grades, each earning a C+:

British Columbia earned an A in building codes for supporting energy-efficient and flexible housing forms like single-staircase apartments.
Quebec scored consistently mid-range but showed leadership in zoning reform and affordability strategies.
Prince Edward Island received an A in filling market gaps, recognizing its investment in below-market-rate and social housing.

Ontario and Saskatchewan: Strength in Climate-Resilient Zoning

Ontario and Saskatchewan received A grades for avoiding high-risk construction areas, such as floodplains and wildfire zones.
Ontario scored C- in legalizing density and mid-range grades in other categories due to limited factory-built housing and modest progress in affordability initiatives.

Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and New Brunswick: Mixed Performance

Nova Scotia scored a C in affordability and C- in factory-built housing, but lagged behind in climate-risk and building code categories.
Manitoba earned mid to low C-level scores across the board, with limited innovation in zoning and density reform.
New Brunswick received a D+ overall, due to poor performance in flood-zone construction policy and limited policy support for factory-built homes.

Newfoundland and Labrador: Falling Behind

Newfoundland and Labrador earned D or D- scores in most categories, reflecting limited activity in climate risk mitigation, zoning reform, or modular housing development.

Federal Government: Best in Class

The federal government earned a B, the highest overall grade. Key strengths include:

Federal tax incentives for rental construction
Leasing federal land for affordable housing
Promoting zoning reform at the municipal level

Former Edmonton mayor Don Iveson, who co-chairs the Task Force, emphasized that Canada must go beyond just building more homes—it needs to build smarter, more resilient ones. Lisa Raitt added, “We need homes that are affordable, climate-aligned, and built to withstand future risks.”

Final Verdict: No Region is Doing Enough

The report concludes that despite some regional efforts, no province or territory is fully addressing Canada’s housing and climate crisis. The task force is calling for coordinated action across all levels of government to close the gap between housing needs and climate readiness.

Canada Housing Market