Auditor General Finds Ottawa Slow to Reduce Underused Federal Office Space

Canada’s auditor general, Karen Hogan, and the commissioner of the environment and sustainable development, Jerry V. DeMarco, hold a press conference at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa on June 10, 2025, after jointly delivering eight performance audit reports to the House of Commons. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

The federal government is falling short in its efforts to repurpose underused office space for housing and reduce unnecessary costs, according to the auditor general, who found Ottawa has managed to reduce the space by less than 2 percent.

Auditor General Karen Hogan examined the period from 2019 to 2024 and released her findings in a report tabled in the House of Commons on June 10. The report was one of eight performance audit reports delivered the same day.