1. Home
  2. news
  3. news releases
  4. Government announces 30 year amortizations for insured mortgages to put homeownership in reach for Millennials and Gen Z
Toronto, Ontario

Canadians work hard to be able to afford a home. However, the high cost of mortgage payments are a barrier on the path to homeownership, especially for Millennials and Gen Z. To break down these barriers and help more young Canadians buy a first home, Budget 2024 announced the federal government would allow up to 30 year amortizations for insured mortgages for first-time homebuyers purchasing new builds.

Today, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, announced that as of August 1, 2024, lenders will be able to begin to offer 30 year amortizations for insured mortgages for first-time homebuyers purchasing new builds, providing younger Canadians with more affordable monthly mortgage payment options. Extending amortizations by up to five years will allow for lower monthly payments—helping more young Canadians unlock the door to their first home, while also incentivizing the construction of more new homes.

This is part of the strengthened Canadian Mortgage Charter. The Mortgage Charter protects homeowners in mortgage difficulty by ensuring they have access to tailored mortgage relief and takes action to restore generational fairness to the housing market for younger Canadians, such as intending for renters to improve their credit score with their on-time rent payments.

Building on the Tax-Free First Home Savings Account, which so far has helped more than 750,000 Canadians start saving for a down payment faster, first-time buyers of new builds will now be able to reduce their monthly payments by taking an additional five years to pay off their mortgage.

The federal government is helping every generation reach their full potential—including buying a home of their own—by building a Canada that is fair for every generation.

Quote

“For every young Canadian who wants to own a home of their own, we want them to be able to qualify for a mortgage and afford their first home. One of the biggest hurdles to homeownership for younger Canadians is qualifying for a mortgage and affording the monthly payments. That is why, starting August 1, first-time buyers of new builds will be able to reduce their monthly payments with up to 30 year mortgages. This is just one of the many new measures our government is taking to make the dream of homeownership a reality for younger Canadians.”

The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

Quick Facts

  • The strengthened Canadian Mortgage Charter, as announced in Budget 2024, sets out the  expectations of financial institutions to ensure Canadians in mortgage hardship have access to tailored relief and to make it easier to buy a first home.
  • The federal government’s ambitious plan to unlock nearly 4 million more homes is bringing down the costs of construction, encouraging cities to cut red tape to make it easier to build homes at a faster pace, turbocharging new innovative construction methods, and growing the construction workforce. This plan includes:
    • A Public Lands for Homes Plan to lead a national effort to build affordable housing on federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal lands across the country. The government will partner with homebuilders and housing providers to build homes on every possible site across the public portfolio and ensure long-term affordability.
    • $15 billion in additional loans for the Apartment Construction Loan Program to build a minimum of 30,000 new rental apartments, in big cities, small towns, and rural communities alike. With this additional financing, the program is on track to build over 131,000 new apartments by 2031-32.
    • Launching Canada Builds, a Team Canada approach to building affordable homes for the middle class on under-utilized lands across the country. Canada Builds combines federal low-cost loans with provincial and territorial investments to scale up construction on rental homes for the middle class, from coast to coast to coast.
    • Supporting Indigenous Peoples in urban, rural, and northern areas. The government will also provide additional distinctions-based investments for Indigenous housing to be delivered by Indigenous governments, organizations, housing, and service providers.

Related Products

Associated Links