he dream for aspiring homeowners may look like scoring $1 worth of land amid rising housing prices and inflation.
The good news is that this dream has come true in some Canadian provinces and territories, which have offered eye-catching relocation incentives to address population decline, housing crises and affordability.
Cochrane, Ont.
A northern Ontario town(opens in a new tab) is offering land for $10 in an eye-catching sales pitch to get development companies to build housing and grow the town.
With up to 1,500 eligible lots, Cochrane said buyers will be responsible for developing the infrastructure on unserviced lots and committing to such development.
Eager buyers spilled in with more than 3,000 calls from individuals and companies interested in the discounted land.
An additional bonus for buyers is property tax relief.
In an interview with CTV News Northern Ontario last week, Cochrane Mayor Peter Politis said the town needs housing for seniors and people who are on low incomes or are homeless.
Politis said the incentive program, which launches in May, will eventually help drive costs down by providing enough housing and boosting competition.
According to Politis, employers are also developing incentive programs to get workers from various industries to fill housing and recast the dream that Gen Zs in southern Ontario can own a home.
Brandon, Man.
A property in southwestern Manitoba(opens in a new tab) is being offered for just $1 to help the city with its affordable housing and homelessness needs.
The listing, 215 12th St. N., will be sold to a non-profit, government agency or partnering agency to turn the site into an affordable housing unit for people experiencing homelessness or precarious housing situations.
Amid rising homelessness, the city’s plan for the property includes 55 units, each between 150 and 200 square feet. Property buyers do not have to build a development plan identical to the city’s proposed renderings.
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is offering post-secondary graduates a rebate(opens in a new tab) of up to $20,000 to cover tuition fees paid for those living in the province or considering moving there and filing an income tax return.
The rebate amount depends on the tuition paid, ranging from $3,000 to $20,000 for a one- to four-year program.
Eligible individuals must graduate from an approved post-secondary program and apply within seven years of graduation. Students in master’s and PhD programs are not eligible.
Reston, Man.
A rural community in southwest Manitoba offered $10 housing lots(opens in a new tab) — a program that started more than 10 years ago with a 24-lot division and was down to two lots left as of 2020.
The program, which was said to be an opportunity to create affordable recreation for its communities, opened the door for individuals and families who might not have been able to buy elsewhere.
Pipestone, Man.
A southwestern town in Manitoba is offering $10 municipally owned(opens in a new tab) residential properties.
Buyers must deposit $1,000 per lot in Pipestone, and will lose the deposit if the offer is not acted upon within 90 days.
If the building starts within 90 days of the offer and is completed a year later, the town will return $990 to the buyer.
Mundare, Alta.
The town of Mundare was offering lots on Main Street(opens in a new tab) for $1 with conditions attached.
Buyers had to obtain development permits, begin construction within one year and then complete the project within one year after that.
According to the town, the goal was to allow commercial development for the town’s downtown business district.
According to the town’s official website, all available lots have been sold. A waiting list is maintained for people interested in purchasing the land if previous buyers choose not to proceed.
The town also outlined what was not permitted for the lot’s use on its website.
Vancouver
A Vancouver entrepreneur in 2018 offered to build laneway houses free of charge(opens in a new tab) for homeowners with space in their backyards, in the hopes of collecting rent from the tenants for 12 years.
Duane Laird told CTV News Vancouver at the time that each unit would rent for between $1,200 and $1,500 per month and be ready after four months of construction.
Laird claimed he would find the tenants, collect rent and maintain the area. After 12 years, the home would be inspected, painted, and handed over to the property owner — with a potential buy-out option for those who didn’t want to wait the entire 12 years.
Cape Breton Island, N.S.
In 2016, a local business in Whycocomagh,(opens in a new tab) a town on Cape Breton Island, offered people two acres of woodland if they would work for the business for five years.
In a Facebook ad, The Farmer’s Daughter Country Store said the successful applicant(s) could set up a “tiny house” or “quaint cabin” on the land.
The ad said free land would be given for the cost of “migrating it out and putting it in your name.”
A free local orthotics business(opens in a new tab) was also up for grabs in Sydney on Cape Breton Island in 2018, after the clinic owner announced plans to move out of town.
McAdam, N.B.
In 2019, a small village in New Brunswick(opens in a new tab) was offering 16 plots of land for $1 in an effort to revive its then-1,250-person population.
Five lots were available in McAdam that year, and the village said it received more than 600 calls from as far as Egypt, Dubai and Pakistan.
The buyers were a mix of young families and retirees, but mostly from other provinces.
Saint-Louis-de-Blandford, Que.
A small population community, about an hour southwest of Quebec City decided to take a creative approach(opens in a new tab) to increasing its population.
The town purchased a large tract of land and subdivided it into 40 lots, which it gave away for free, beginning in 2013, to anyone willing to move there and build a house.
The town’s policy required buyers to put a $1,000 down payment on a lot and commit to building a house worth $125,000 within a year. The municipality then refunded the down payment.
Crown Lands, Yukon
Through the territory’s Agricultural Lands Program, land in the Arctic was free in 2015 for agricultural purposes for people tough enough to develop in cold temperatures.
International offers
Italy
In 2021, Calabria, a region in Italy(opens in a new tab), offered up to $33,000 over a maximum of three years to people willing to relocate to quiet villages with fewer than 2,000 people, located near the sea and on mountainsides.
New residents were to commit to starting a small business, be 40 years or younger, and relocate to their new home within 90 days of a successful application.
Santa Fiora, in Tuscany, and Rieti, in Lazio, offered to pay up to 50 per cent of the rent for anyone who decided to move and work remotely(opens in a new tab) long-term. Applicants were to have an “active” job and be tech-savvy enough to work from anywhere.
Life at Sea cruise
In March 2023, Miray launched its Life at Sea(opens in a new tab) concept: 1,095 days sailing worldwide in a floating apartment block.
Fares started at $30,000 per person per year, including accommodation, food, drinks, laundry and even health care.
The cruise was abruptly cancelled two weeks before its delayed departure date of Nov. 1, 2023.
Australia
In 2021, the town of Quilpie, Australia, offered free residential land to anyone willing to move to the remote community of 800.
To overcome a housing shortage and fill jobs in the cattle and sheep ranching industry, the town offered people the option of buying a block of land and building a house for less than US$560,000. Those who lived in it for six months would be eligible for a US$9,400 grant.
With fully serviced, 1,000-square-metre (about a quarter acre) blocks selling for the same amount as the grant, the council effectively gave the land away.