When two organizations devoted to bettering housing affordability be a part of forces, the affect on Canadian communities is important.
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 standard trigger — and giving mortgage brokers a extremely seen method to elevate 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 a complete is the sense of group,” says incoming MPC board chair Maxime Stencer. “Habitat actually exemplifies that, with individuals coming collectively from all totally different walks of life with a standard objective of serving to the group.”
As a part of the brand new partnership, MPC has dedicated to a fundraising objective 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 associate 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 needed 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 acquired to know the group, they continued to search out extra parallels. For instance, each are targeted on the problem of reasonably priced house possession in Canada, are volunteer led, have a monitor file of celebrating the contributions of feminine members, and lean on pleasant competitors to get probably the most out of individuals.
“It’s actually essential for brokers throughout Canada to provide again to their group, and this can be a method to give again in a really seen approach,” he provides. “We’re choosing up hammers, we’re choosing up saws, and the group will see mortgage brokers really giving again; not simply with their wallets, however with their effort and time.”
The MPC board was looking for a company that had robust identify recognition and a powerful monitor file in Canada.
“It’s additionally enjoyable,” Stencer provides. “It brings individuals collectively, they’ve enjoyable doing it, they usually’re happy with the work they’re placing in. That’s what the mortgage trade is all about; everyone works exhausting, however additionally they play exhausting.”
Two organizations, one mission
Although many affiliate Habitat for Humanity with its homebuilding tasks in growing nations the worldwide group’s Canadian arm is targeted 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 important boundaries to having the ability to give you a down fee.”
Barata provides that whereas public sector housing tasks for low-income Canadians emphasize reasonably priced rental inventory, Habitat for Humanity is targeted 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 exhausting to do, nevertheless it’s much less of a heavy carry,” he says. “That left a spot that now we now have to make up, and each Mortgage Professionals Canada and Habitat perceive that Canadians wish to maintain the dream of homeownership alive.”
Barata explains that whereas growing reasonably priced leases helps handle the quick 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 exhausting to search out free or actually reasonably priced land to have decrease or no prices when it comes to growth costs,” Barata says. “We additionally have a look at how we will maintain constructing prices low by, for instance, bringing in volunteers and fundraising.”
By these efforts, Habitat gives reasonably priced houses to Canadians who would in any other case be priced out of possession.
The affect of homeownership
And these aren’t simply anecdotal advantages. In a 2025 financial and social affect 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 youngsters 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 reasonably priced housing actions generated $311 million in financial exercise and almost $40 million in tax revenues, whereas delivering lasting social features.
“While you have 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 individuals; it’s actually essential for the nation and the form of communities we wish to construct in Canada.”
Constructing consciousness collectively
The MPC partnership will end in new houses for Canadians in want, however it can additionally assist Habitat Canada rally help for the work it does in communities throughout the nation, in keeping with its growth officer Shahla Habib.
“The overall consciousness piece has been such an enormous part of the partnership thus far,” she says, including that Habitat has been invited to discuss 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 a fantastic urge for food to search out out what extra they will do to assist Habitat of their area people.”
Habib provides that she was shocked and delighted by how rapidly and enthusiastically the mortgage trade lined as much as help the group and its mission to convey extra reasonably priced housing to Canada.
“They honestly perceive firsthand how transformative homeownership is and are seeing among the challenges and boundaries that households are up towards,” she says. “They’ve actually been a mannequin company associate to Habitat, and we’re actually appreciative of all they’ve performed thus far.”
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Final modified: August 20, 2025
