Bill C-20 · 45th Parliament · Mark Carney
Build Canada Homes Act
An Act respecting the establishment of Build Canada Homes
Government bill. Became law.
- IntroducedFeb. 5, 2026
- Debated in principleMarch 13, 2026
- Studied by a committeeDone
- Passed its first chamberJune 10, 2026
- Passed the second chamberJune 18, 2026
- Became lawJune 18, 2026
Leading supporters
Ranked by the part each played: who is responsible for the bill, who carried it, and who spoke for it most.
- Mark CarneyPrime Minister
Who carries this bill
Arrows run from the person responsible to those who answer to them on this bill. The critic leads the Senate’s scrutiny and answers to no one on it.
What it set out to do
On 5 February 2026, the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada introduced Bill C-20, An Act respecting the establishment of Build Canada Homes (Build Canada Homes Act) in the House of Commons and it was given first reading. Bill C-20 establishes Build Canada Homes as a Crown corporation. The purpose of Build Canada Homes is to promote, support and develop the supply of affordable housing in Canada and to promote innovative and efficient building techniques in the housing construction sector in Canada. The enactment, among other things, (a) sets out the powers of Build Canada Homes and its governance framework; (b) authorizes the Minister of Finance to make payments out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund to fund the operations and activities of Build Canada Homes; and (c) provides that the Governor in Council may transfer to Build Canada Homes the property, rights, interests and obligations held by any Crown corporation or subsidiary of a Crown corporation and may issue directives for measures to be taken in relation to the reorganization of Canada Lands Company Limited or any of its subsidiaries. It also includes transi…
Summary by the Library of Parliament.
Where members stand
Votes and debate for this bill have not been read yet.
How it changed on the way
2% of the text as introduced was changed or removed by the time it became law (4,992 words introduced, 4,981 passed).
How precisely it is written
vagueChallenging the law: HardDisputing a charge: Hard
The bill relies heavily on subjective phrases such as 'considers appropriate' and 'likely to benefit' plus broad grants of power to the Governor in Council and Minister. Defined terms and numeric limits exist but are outnumbered by open-ended discretion.
Open to argument
“for any term that the Governor in Council considers appropriate”
Subjective standard lets the executive choose duration without objective criteria.“on any terms and conditions that the Governor in Council considers appropriate”
Gives unfettered discretion to set conditions for directives.“do anything that is necessary for, or incidental to, a measure”
Catch-all phrasing expands scope without clear boundaries.
Clear-cut
“at least eight but not more than 10 other directors”
Numeric range fixes board size.“term not exceeding four years”
Clear maximum term length for directors.
Discretion. The Governor in Council and designated Minister hold wide power over appointments during pleasure, issuance of directives, transfers of property, and specification of additional corporate powers by order.
Challenging the law itself. The Act creates administrative structures and spending authority rather than directly limiting Charter-protected conduct, so vagueness or overbreadth claims face high hurdles.
Disputing a charge under it. Obligations fall on Crown entities and officials rather than private persons, leaving little room for external parties to litigate whether a breach occurred.
Read by a language model from the royal assent text; every quoted phrase appears in the bill. A reading of the drafting, not legal advice.
Did it work?
The evidence has not been searched yet.
Who lobbied on it
No lobbying registration naming this bill is loaded.
Stages and dates from LEGISinfo.