When two organizations devoted to bettering housing affordability be a part of forces, the influence on Canadian communities is critical.
Mortgage Professionals Canada (MPC) just lately entered a partnership with Habitat for Humanity Canada, bringing collectively two nationwide organizations with complementary values to work in the direction of a typical trigger — and giving mortgage brokers a extremely seen approach to increase their profile within the communities they serve.
“The apparent [alignment] is the housing facet, however what was actually compelling for our committee and the board as an entire is the sense of group,” says incoming MPC board chair Maxime Stencer. “Habitat actually exemplifies that, with folks coming collectively from all completely different walks of life with a typical purpose of serving to the group.”
As a part of the brand new partnership, MPC has dedicated to a fundraising purpose of $100,000 over two years and organizing volunteers to help with the development of 10 houses throughout Canada.
Looking for a trigger brokers can get behind
Stencer says the seek for a non-profit companion started final 12 months following a reorganization effort that introduced the group’s beforehand exterior charitable basis in-house.
“We requested our board members to come back to us with concepts for charity companions in keeping with sure standards that matched MPC’s mission, values and imaginative and prescient, and Habitat was one which was recommended by a board member,” he says. “We additionally wished a company that was current in each single province, so the nationwide scope of Habitat tied-in effectively with the nationwide scope of MPC.”
Stencer explains that as every received to know the group, they continued to search out extra parallels. For instance, each are centered on the problem of inexpensive house possession in Canada, are volunteer led, have a observe file of celebrating the contributions of feminine members, and lean on pleasant competitors to get probably the most out of members.
“It’s actually necessary for brokers throughout Canada to present again to their group, and this can be a approach to give again in a really seen means,” he provides. “We’re selecting up hammers, we’re selecting up saws, and the group will see mortgage brokers truly giving again; not simply with their wallets, however with their effort and time.”
The MPC board was in search of a company that had robust title recognition and a robust observe file in Canada.
“It’s additionally enjoyable,” Stencer provides. “It brings folks collectively, they’ve enjoyable doing it, and so they’re happy with the work they’re placing in. That’s what the mortgage trade is all about; all people works arduous, however additionally they play arduous.”
Two organizations, one mission
Although many affiliate Habitat for Humanity with its homebuilding initiatives in growing nations the worldwide group’s Canadian arm is concentrated on supporting these in want right here at house.
“Habitat Canada is all about offering alternatives for Canadians to buy their first house, to construct fairness and to construct a brighter future,” says Pedro Barata, President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada. “We notably give attention to people and households who face vital obstacles to having the ability to provide you with a down fee.”
Barata provides that whereas public sector housing initiatives for low-income Canadians emphasize inexpensive rental inventory, Habitat for Humanity is concentrated on tackling the housing disaster by enhancing possession alternatives.
“It’s comprehensible for governments to place their emphasis on purpose-built rental, as a result of it’s nonetheless arduous to do, but it surely’s much less of a heavy elevate,” he says. “That left a niche that now we now have to make up, and each Mortgage Professionals Canada and Habitat perceive that Canadians need to preserve the dream of homeownership alive.”
Barata explains that whereas growing inexpensive leases helps handle the instant problem, Habitat is working in the direction of longer-term options for Canadian households in want.
The group helps Canadians obtain homeownership by discovering methods to cut back buying prices, even eliminating down fee necessities altogether, by way of a wide range of techniques.
“We work very arduous to search out free or actually inexpensive land to have decrease or no prices by way of improvement costs,” Barata says. “We additionally take a look at how we are able to preserve constructing prices low by, for instance, bringing in volunteers and fundraising.”
By these efforts, Habitat presents inexpensive houses to Canadians who would in any other case be priced out of possession.
The influence of homeownership
And these aren’t simply anecdotal advantages. In a 2025 financial and social influence examine with Deloitte Canada, Habitat owners reported a 79% increase in psychological well being and a 73% enchancment in bodily well being. and a 44% enchancment in employment. Half additionally famous improved college efficiency for his or her kids and higher group engagement; 51% stated they felt extra financially safe.
On common, households who moved into Habitat houses earned 28% greater than they might have as renters—including an estimated $168 million to Canada’s GDP between 2006 and 2023. Between 2019 and 2023 alone, Habitat’s inexpensive housing actions generated $311 million in financial exercise and almost $40 million in tax revenues, whereas delivering lasting social positive factors.
“If you take a look at the advantages to native economies, each on account of constructing houses and by elevating incomes potential, these are actually good for the Canadian financial system,” Barata says. “It isn’t simply good that you simply’re doing this for folks; it’s actually necessary for the nation and the form of communities we need to construct in Canada.”
Constructing consciousness collectively
The MPC partnership will lead to new houses for Canadians in want, however it’s going to additionally assist Habitat Canada rally help for the work it does in communities throughout the nation, in keeping with its improvement officer Shahla Habib.
“The final consciousness piece has been such a large part of the partnership to this point,” she says, including that Habitat has been invited to talk about its efforts and mission at regional MPC occasions from coast-to-coast. “The suggestions that we’ve gotten from members has been fairly optimistic. There’s an important urge for food to search out out what extra they will do to assist Habitat of their local people.”
Habib provides that she was stunned and delighted by how shortly and enthusiastically the mortgage trade lined as much as help the group and its mission to deliver extra inexpensive housing to Canada.
“They honestly perceive firsthand how transformative homeownership is and are seeing a few of the challenges and obstacles that households are up towards,” she says. “They’ve actually been a mannequin company companion to Habitat, and we’re actually appreciative of all they’ve finished to this point.”
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Final modified: August 20, 2025
