Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Act

Contents

Whereas public infrastructure and housing are essential for communities to be complete, inclusive and environmentally sustainable;Whereas these types of communities foster a stronger national economy in which the people of Canada can prosper and thrive;Whereas advancing public infrastructure and housing outcomes is best achieved through cooperation between governments as well as the meaningful involvement of local communities;Whereas effective support for infrastructure plays a key role in improving housing outcomes;And whereas promoting the use of innovative financial tools helps attract investment from the private sector and institutional investors in public infrastructure projects;Now, therefore, His Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

Short Title

1Short title#

This Act may be cited as the Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Act.

Definition

2Definition of Department#

In this Act, Department means the department established under section 3.

Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

3Department established#

A department of the Government of Canada, called the Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, is established and is to be presided over by the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities.

4Deputy Minister#

The Governor in Council may appoint a Deputy Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities to hold office during pleasure and to be the deputy head of the Department.

Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

5Minister of Infrastructure and Communities#

The Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, appointed by commission under the Great Seal, holds office during pleasure and has the management and direction of the Department.

6Powers, duties and functions#

(1)The powers, duties and functions of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities extend to and include all matters relating to public infrastructure over which Parliament has jurisdiction and that are not by law assigned to any other department, board or agency of the Government of Canada.

(2)Without restricting the generality of subsection (1), the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities’ duties and functions include supporting and promoting infrastructure projects and initiatives that are in the public interest in order to foster the prosperity, inclusivity and environmental sustainability of communities.

Minister of Housing

7Appointment#

A Minister of Housing may be appointed by commission under the Great Seal to hold office during pleasure.

8Powers, duties and functions#

(1)The powers, duties and functions of the Minister of Housing extend to and include all matters relating to housing and the reduction and prevention of homelessness over which Parliament has jurisdiction and that are not by law assigned to any other Minister, department, board or agency of the Government of Canada.

(2)Without restricting the generality of subsection (1), the Minister of Housing’s duties and functions include advancing national housing priorities and reducing and preventing homelessness to foster the prosperity, inclusivity and environmental sustainability of communities.

9Use of departmental services and facilities#

The Minister of Housing is to make use of the Department services and facilities and may authorize employees of the Department to exercise any power or perform any duty or function of the Minister of Housing.

Provisions Applicable to Both Ministers

10No Minister appointed#

If no Minister is appointed under section 7,

(a)the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities is to exercise the powers and perform the duties and functions of the Minister of Housing; and

(b)every reference to the Minister of Housing in any Act of Parliament or in any order, regulation or other instrument made under an Act of Parliament is to be read as a reference to the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, unless the context otherwise requires.

11General duties and powers#

The Minister of Infrastructure and Communities or the Minister of Housing, as the case may be, may, in exercising their powers and performing their duties and functions,

(a)establish, recommend, coordinate and implement initiatives, programs and projects;

(b)make grants and contributions;

(c)collaborate or enter into agreements or other arrangements with other federal, provincial or territorial departments, boards and agencies, local governments, Indigenous bodies or any institution or person;

(d)undertake, coordinate and promote research activities; and

(e)subject to the Statistics Act, collect, analyze, interpret, publish or distribute information.

12Committees#

(1)The Minister of Infrastructure and Communities or the Minister of Housing, as the case may be, may establish advisory and other committees and provide for their membership, duties, functions and operation.

(2)The Minister of Infrastructure and Communities or the Minister of Housing, as the case may be, may fix the remuneration that members of a committee are to be paid for the performance of their duties and functions.

(3)Members of a committee are entitled to be reimbursed, in accordance with Treasury Board directives, for the travel, living and other expenses incurred for the performance of their duties and functions while absent from their ordinary place of residence.

Related provisions

— 2024, c. 15, s. 324Any person who, immediately before the day on which this section comes into force, holds the office of Deputy Head of Infrastructure and Communities, styled as Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, is deemed, as of that day, to have been appointed as the Deputy Minister referred to in section 4 of the Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Act, as enacted by section 323.Nothing in the Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Act is to be construed as affecting the status of any person who, immediately before the day on which this section comes into force, occupies or is assigned to a position in the Office of Infrastructure of Canada, except that, as of that day, the person occupies or is assigned to their position in the Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. — 2024, c. 15, s. 325Any amount that is appropriated by an Act of Parliament for the fiscal year in which this section comes into force to defray the expenditures of the public service of Canada within the Office of Infrastructure of Canada and that is unexpended on the day on which this section comes into force is deemed to be an amount appropriated to defray the expenditures of the public service of Canada within the Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. — 2024, c. 15, s. 326On the day on which this section comes into force, every reference to the Office of Infrastructure of Canada in any agreement, contract, instrument or act or other document is to be read as a reference to the Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, unless the context requires otherwise.

Federal laws of Canada reproduced under the Reproduction of Federal Law Order (SI/97-5); not the official version. Source: Justice Laws Website.