Serious deficiencies plague the Canadian Armed Forces’ living quarters, the auditor general has found, citing everything from deteriorating walls to malfunctioning sanitary waste systems and unsafe drinking water.
In her late October report, Auditor General of Canada, Karen Hogan, said 227 urgent repairs are needed across 32 buildings, but auditors discovered that just 5% have been finished.
Despite inadequate conditions, Hogan warned that the Canadian Forces Housing Agency — which manages the residential housing units on bases — did not provide enough units to meet the military’s needs. In spring 2025, there were only 205 residential housing units available, while 3,706 applicants were on wait lists, her report states.
“During the audit, we found quarters were often in poor physical condition and did not meet National Defence’s own standards for enough living space for each person,” the audit states. “We found quarters that did not have potable water or properly functioning sanitary waste systems.”
To meet operational needs, adds Hogan, Canadian Armed Forces members can be required to move frequently.
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“It is important for their morale and well-being that they can access affordable housing in good condition with sufficient living space for their needs,” she wrote.
The Department of National Defence uses three types of furnished quarters to house members while they are on training courses, on short-term assignments, or are in transit to another location.
The audit found that the average age of 45 quarters buildings at the three bases examined was 60 years, with the oldest building still in use, having been constructed in the 1930s, and the newest in 2014.
“We found that during the audit period, 32 of the 35 quarters buildings with a current inspection needed at least one high-priority repair,” the audit states, adding that toilet problems and a lack of safe potable water were among the concerns.
The audit did not go into detail about the nature of the water issues in some buildings.
In response to the audit, Minister of National Defence, David McGuinty, has noted that Budget 2024 committed $1.4 billion over 20 years toward a comprehensive Canadian Armed Forces Housing Strategy. He said that funding supports the construction of up to 1,400 new residential housing units and the renovation of approximately 2,500 existing units on bases and wings across the country.
“These investments are laying the groundwork for a more agile and responsive housing program that aligns with Canada’s broader defence and housing priorities,” McGuinty announced in a statement.
