Government of Canada seeking to convert 22 Ottawa public buildings into housing [Video]

The Government of Canada has added more properties onto its list of federal properties it is hoping to turn into new homes.

The Canada Public Land Bank, launched on Sunday, features 56 federal properties across Canada, including 22 in the city of Ottawa, that have been identified as being able to support housing.

The new plan is to offer most of the properties for long-term lease, not a one-time sale, to keep the lands in public hands and ensure housing built on them remains affordable.

The current list includes properties in 28 municipalities in seven provinces but will grow over time through an ongoing review of underused or vacant federal land and buildings.

The government is seeking feedback and consultations for 21 properties in Ottawa and has moved into the development phase for the site of Wateridge Village, the former home of Canadian Forces Base Rockcliffe. The government announced in November that federal properties on that site will be repurposed into 307 homes.

A new …