Thousands of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members and their families continue to wait for military housing.
According to reporting by The Canadian Press, about 4,500 service members who applied for military housing sat on a waitlist in July.
Some bases and wings with big waitlists include Halifax, Comox, B.C. and Ottawa, Borden, Petawawa, Kingston and Trenton, all in Ontario.
It highlights concerns from Gen. Wayne Eyre, Canada’s chief of defence staff, about a significant shortage of affordable housing for Canada’s military — he called it a top concern for troops.
The search for affordable housing isn’t unique to CAF members, who are often forced to live in certain communities and often relocate as a condition of employment.
About 12,000 military housing units are available to rent on Canadian Forces bases and wings, but Eyre said the CAF needs upwards of 6,000 more.
Canada’s defence department said five years ago, the Canadian Forces Housing Agency proposed to build 1,300 new units over 10 years. Since then, only 132 units have been built across Canada.
With files from The Canadian Press.