Agency deepens public‑private push as pipeline of factory‑built projects grows
Build Canada Homes’ latest executive hires signalled how Ottawa’s new Crown‑style builder intends to move quickly from policy to projects – and from land holdings to completed doors – in a market where supply still lags far behind demand.
The federal agency, launched in September 2025 with an initial $13 billion capitalization to accelerate affordable and deeply affordable housing, already began rolling out direct‑build projects on federal lands and early partnerships with municipalities, provinces and Indigenous governments across the country.
“As the team grows, we’re focused on bringing in leaders who understand what it takes to deliver housing at scale — how decisions move from paper to projects, and from capital to construction,” Build Canada Homes chief executive officer Ana Bailão wrote in a LinkedIn post, announcing the appointments of Valesa Faria as senior vice‑president of partnership and development and Jeffery Coles as senior vice‑president of investments.
“Jeffery Coles and Valesa Faria each bring deep, practical experience, and together they strengthen how work moves forward across investment, partnerships, and delivery on the ground,” Bailão said.
“I’m very pleased to have them joining the Executive Leadership Team and look forward to working closely together as we continue to build capacity and momentum.”
Faria, a long‑time public‑sector housing leader, is set to steer partnerships and development files, including work with Indigenous organizations, non‑profits, private developers and municipal and provincial governments.
Coles, meanwhile, has a background in real estate investment, finance and capital markets. He would oversee investment strategy and capital deployment at a time when structuring low‑cost capital is central to crowding in private builders.
“Recruitment for mission-focused priority roles is underway through platforms including GC Jobs, and additional hires will follow as the Agency stands up the teams driving partnerships, Indigenous collaboration, investment, and project delivery,” a spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities said.
The appointments came as Build Canada Homes advanced requests for qualifications on six Canada Lands Company sites – in Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Longueuil, Ottawa and Dartmouth – with plans to fast‑track up to 4,000 units using modular and factory‑built methods.
Early partnerships with Ottawa, Nova Scotia, Quebec and Nunavut are expected to generate more than 7,500 additional homes through mixed‑income and supportive projects.
Ottawa’s strategy positions Build Canada Homes as a large‑scale developer on public lands, consolidating federal housing programs and working closely with modular and prefabricated builders to cut timelines and costs while expanding non‑market supply.
On the other hand, the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) projected that it will deliver only a sliver of the supply needed to restore affordability, even as overall Ottawa housing spending is set to fall sharply over the next four years.
Fraser Institute analysts have criticized the federal government’s new BCH initiative, arguing that Ottawa’s track record in real estate management raises serious doubts about its ability to deliver on ambitious housing promises.
Similarly, Mike Moffatt, founding director of the University of Ottawa's Missing Middle Initiative, said that the framework still won't solve affordability for middle-class families despite its stated goal to "finance, build and industralize" social and mixed-income housing on federal lands.
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