‘Scant progress’ offloading federal office space for affordable housing: AG
Global News
Auditor General Karen Hogan found Public Services and Procurement Canada reduced only two per cent of its office footprint between 2019 and 2024.
The federal government has made little headway on its pledge to get rid of unused office space and transform some of it into affordable housing.
A report released Tuesday by Auditor General Karen Hogan found that Public Services and Procurement Canada has made “scant progress” on that commitment, reducing its office footprint by only two per cent between 2019 and 2024.
The department planned to cut office space by 50 per cent by 2034, estimating it could save nearly $4 billion over the next decade.
But Hogan says there has been little movement on the initiative, which could also alleviate the housing crisis. The auditor general blamed the inaction “mainly on a lack of funding.”
“The federal government has been slow to reduce office space and cut costs to support hybrid work, and to convert surplus properties into affordable housing,” Hogan said.
“Public Services and Procurement Canada and federal tenants need to accelerate their efforts to reduce the office space they occupy and contribute to increasing stock for housing that is sustainable, accessible, and affordable.”
Last year, former prime minister Justin Trudeau promised to free up public land and vacant government offices to build more homes for Canadians, as part of his commitment in the Liberals’ 2024 budget to restore fairness “for every generation.”
“Governments across Canada are sitting on surplus, underused public land, like empty office towers, low rise buildings, there is great potential.” To unlock some of that potential, Trudeau announced a $500-million public lands acquisition fund.
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